Germany's business confidence has dropped to its lowest since mid-2020, with the ifo Business Climate Index falling to 84.7 points in December 2024. This decline reflects deteriorating expectations across various sectors, particularly manufacturing, services, and trade, while construction showed slight improvement. Experts express concerns over chronic economic weakness and potential 'creeping de-industrialisation'. The economic outlook remains bleak, with predictions of a 0.1% contraction in 2024 and only slight growth expected in the following years. Teljes cikk (Euronews.com)