Is 'sick man of Europe' a label that will stick to Germany this time around?

Germany is struggling. Its economy has shown no growth in the best part of two years. Its infrastructure is badly in need of modernisation. There are strikes on the railways. Protesting farmers have brought Berlin to a standstill. Deutsche Bank is cutting thousands of jobs. School standards are slipping. There is growing support for parties of the hard left and hard right. For the second time in a quarter of a century it is being labelled the sick man of Europe. Germany has a history of economic problems breeding political extremism but talk of a return to the Weimar Republic…