Germany’s Missing Road Map Risks Sapping Infrastructure Boom
The scope and scale of Friedrich Merz’s big rebuilding push looks to be falling short.
The collapsed Carola Bridge in Dresden in 2024.
Photographer: Jen Schlueter/AFP/Getty Images
In September 2024, a railway bridge in Dresden spectacularly collapsed into the Elbe River, highlighting Germany’s desperate need to invest in its aging infrastructure. Chancellor Friedrich Merz seemed to have the answer when he pushed through a landmark spending package to bolster growth and ease his path to power.
But six months later, frustration is mounting.