Source: Politics<\/p>\n
Germany didn\u2019t just crash out of the World Cup on Monday night. For some, the defeat looked like something bigger: yet another national institution losing its nerve.<\/p>\n
The 2014 World Cup champion, which has struggled at every major tournament since 2016, suffered a bruising defeat against Paraguay, losing 3-4 on penalties to be dumped out of the tournament hosted in the Americas.<\/p>\n
But Die Mannschaft is not the only German national institution failing to live up to expectations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis national team plays the way this federal government governs: big on ambition, short on resolve. Everyone struggles on their own, no one takes responsibility, and when luck finally does appear, the goal doesn\u2019t count,\u201d wrote German Member of the European Parliament Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann on X<\/a>, referring to a controversially disallowed goal made during overtime, which would have brought Germany victory.<\/p>\n There is \u201calways a link between sport and politics,\u201d said professor of political science Alexander Stra\u00dfner \u2014 and Europe\u2019s largest economy is no exception.<\/p>\n Much like its men\u2019s soccer team, over the last decade, the country\u2019s automotive sector and industrial backbone have lost much of their former shine.<\/p>\n When Germany crushed Brazil 7-1 in the 2014 World Cup semifinals before going on to win football\u2019s most prestigious tournament for a fourth time, Volkswagen was on the verge of becoming the world\u2019s largest automaker. Last week, that same company announced tens of thousands of job cuts<\/a>, with major automotive supplier Bosch planning similarly large-scale layoffs<\/a>.<\/p>\n Unemployment in the country has now climbed<\/a> to its highest level since the Covid pandemic, and economic growth remains weak<\/a>.<\/p>\n A nation once synonymous with delivering on performance, reliability, efficiency and engineering excellence is now better known for its chronically delayed trains<\/a>, infrastructure mega-projects plagued by years of holdups and ballooning costs, and ailing automotive industry.<\/p>\n Germany\u2019s international standing has taken a hit too: After Chancellor Friedrich Merz told students at a high school that the U.S. was being \u201chumiliated\u201d by the Iranian regime<\/a>, U.S. President Donald Trump responded by attacking the German leader on Truth Social and threatening Berlin\u2019s nightmare scenario: a withdrawal of 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany<\/a>.<\/p>\n Add to that the government\u2019s very low approval ratings<\/a> and the far-right Alternative for Germany party rising in the polls<\/a>, many Germans don\u2019t think Merz can turn things around.<\/p>\n The chancellor\u2019s coalition government has struggled to deliver major economic reforms, with only a planned pension overhaul<\/a> generating slight optimism among political observers.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Merz seems unable to read the public mood \u2014 whether in politics or soccer.<\/p>\n \u201cEven though the loss hurts: What a game, @DFB_Team! Your determination and team spirit throughout this World Cup inspired our country. We\u2019re proud of you,\u201d wrote the chancellor<\/a> on X after the final whistle late Monday night, garnering ridicule and pushback from German fans.<\/p>\n