Titelaufnahme

This paper analyzes Germany's export-led growth model in the years 1991 to 2019 and is specifically aimed at readers with an interest in political economy but without prior knowledge of comparative political economy research. Economic policy operates between the conflicting goals of domestic stabilization and export promotion. German economic growth in the period analyzed was primarily driven by foreign demand, suggesting an unusual calibration of economic policy parameters. This calibration is analyzed in three spheres: fiscal and monetary policy, wage policy, and the finance-housing complex. The growth model had two formative phases, one after the end of the reunification boom and one during the first roughly six to eight years after the introduction of the euro. Restrained fiscal policy, subdued wage growth, and conservative credit and housing policies pushed down domestic growth and inflation but gave the export sector competitive advantages against the background of a price-elastic demand for German export goods. By the end of the period under analysis, the extreme export orientation gave way to a more balanced growth model. The paper concludes with an outlook on possible future paths.