05.06.2026, Berlin.
The systemic crisis of the German economy is deeply affecting the smaller export-oriented countries of the EU, leading to a rise in EU-scepticism, Rossa Primavera News Agency‘s Europe Desk notes.
On June 3, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated during a government meeting that the recession in the German economy is affecting the economies of smaller countries.
“And as soon as negative trends emerge in the German economy, this automatically affects not only Slovakia but also all the economies of small countries that are as open [export-oriented — Rossa Primavera News Agency] as Slovakia,” the prime minister emphasized.
This statement describes the economic model of Central Europe as a whole and points to the systemic vulnerability of small export-driven economies for which the German market serves as the “locomotive” of their prosperity.
GDP growth in export-oriented states depends directly on demand abroad. For Slovakia in particular, Germany is a key economic partner. This is especially true in the automotive sector: more than 50% of Slovak exports to Germany consist of automobiles and automotive components. If German factories such as Volkswagen, BMW, and others reduce production because of the crisis, assembly lines in Slovakia come to a halt automatically.
Meanwhile, the negative trends in Germany are not a temporary difficulty but a systemic crisis, and it is hitting neighboring countries hard. Germany’s economy has effectively shown no growth since 2022, and forecasts for 2026 are also discouraging. German industry, particularly the chemical and automotive sectors, is losing competitiveness to China and suffering from high energy costs.
Slovakia and other small European countries have become hostages to Germany’s crisis. Germany has ceased to be Europe’s unquestioned economic leader and rescuer. Whereas it once pulled smaller states forward, it is now pulling them downward. The “locomotive” has turned into an “anchor.”
For export-oriented countries, this means stagnation, the risk of job losses, and shrinking budgets. In this context, EU decisions such as the abandonment of Russian energy resources or the strict requirements of the “climate agenda” are drawing justified criticism from these countries, as they significantly worsen the situation. At the same time, compensation from Brussels is either insufficient or arrives too late.
Overall, Germany’s loss of its role as Europe’s “locomotive,” combined with Brussels policies that some countries find burdensome, is contributing to growing EU-scepticism in Central and Eastern Europe. The European Union is losing cohesion and is no longer perceived as a common comfortable home. The project of European integration is entering a phase of permanent crisis, in which each new decision from Brussels may be met with strong opposition from a significant share of member states.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
