German Minister of Economics and Climate Protection Robert Habeck gestures during a press conference on the government's updated growth forecast, in Berlin on October 9, 2024. The German government slashed its 2024 forecast on October 9, 2024 and said it now saw Europe's largest economy contracting for a second straight year before a recovery gets under way in 2025, bolstered by domestic and foreign consumption. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP) (Photo by JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images)