As exorbitant energy costs and Washington’s drive to lure Europe’s green companies to the US slam the continent’s industry, are its industrial zones set to become rustbelts? Is Germany to languish as its factories shutter, forcing its highly skilled craftsmen to take menial jobs?

Germany, Europe’s largest economy, has long stood as worth emulating, especially as it helped the eurozone navigate the 2010 economic crisis and continued steady growth on its strong manufacturing and robust exports. But cracks have begun to show in this model as its overreliance on Russian oil and gas has emerged, along with underinvestment in key infrastructure.