Is the German powerhouse slowing down? Retail sales are falling sharply, industrial production slumping, construction is sluggish and the government seems lacklustre about finding solutions. The EU has been talked up in recent times as turning a corner into better times but that is largely a result of money being thrown into the system and interest rates kept low. The French figures are no better and a summer of strikes will hit tourism hard. Without a strong Germany which accounts for 23pc of the zone’s GDP, the EU can’t grow.
Two astrological pointers of note. One is the state of the EU chart. On the EU chart the Solar Arc Pluto is creeping closer to a conjunction to the 2nd house Neptune by later in 2019, which is seriously bad news. Pluto Neptune tends to be devastation with major confusion. With 2019 also seeing tr Uranus, into an erratic few years through the EU’s 8th house of joint finances, opposing the EU Neptune – which suggests a high-wires sense of nerviness and panic.
The other is the Germany/EU relationship chart which is showing considerable strain from now onwards with tr Saturn opposition the composite Pluto now and conjunct the Sun in 2019, both of which are coldly critical and separating influences. With tr Uranus in an upsetting square to the composite financial Venus from mid May into 2019; and in 2019 opposition the composite Mars for major arguments and upsets.
The Bundesbank (German Central Bank) chart was overly confident six months back, and is now into a panicky, uncertain, jolting year ahead; with 2019 undermining financially; and 2020 worse.
Nothing certain ahead.
Global Stockmarket going down due to trade war will have this effect. That said, as with the recent political crisis, German economy “slowing down” will be relative. Germany still produces goods people want, not just financial services.