Merz Courts 200 Bank and Fund Chiefs at Closed-Door 'Invest in Germany' Summit in Berlin

Germany's federal government convened 200 heads of the country's largest banks, funds and companies in Berlin for a summit titled 'Invest in Germany,' held Monday and Tuesday largely away from public view. Chancellor Friedrich Merz used the gathering to pitch profitable investment opportunities to capital providers, with confidential one-on-one meetings with the chancellor or ministers available to CEOs on request. The courtship comes as the German economy struggles: gross domestic product is forecast to grow 1.3 percent by year's end, but that minimal expansion is carried almost entirely by state spending on armaments and infrastructure, while private investment remains absent. Attendees' stated interests centered on pensions and the electricity grid. The article, published by Der Freitag and written by Simon Zeise, frames the summit around the question of who ultimately pays the bill, and notes that further details appear in the outlet's current issue.