Germany's once-vibrant auto heartland falls on hard times
Published on: Feb. 24, 2026, 11:36 a.m. | Source: Devdiscourse
Although Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative party is still likely to win the election, the economic worries and a sense of lost regional pride are providing fertile ground for the far-right AfD's narratives. A MUCH TOUGHER WORLD FOR AN EXPORT POWERHOUSE Once a leader, Baden-Wuerttemberg is more exposed than most to the structural change sweeping through German industry. The state is Germany's top exporting region, accounting for 15.5% of national exports, and manufacturing accounts for 38.1% of the state's gross value added, compared with 28.5% nationwide.
