Keynote | Oliver Rakau - Oxford Economics

By wdo, 28 July, 2026

Is the Sick Man of Europe on the Road to Recovery?

Oliver Rakau, Deputy Chief Eurozone Economist Oxford Economics

Language: German 

The pandemic, the energy crisis, China’s rise and US tariffs have kept the German economy in a state of stagnation in recent years and, for the most part, represent structural challenges. The war in Iran has further prolonged this period of weakness in 2026.

However, the sharp increase in defence spending and infrastructure investment is expected to provide growing momentum to the economy from 2027 onwards and encourage additional private investment. This will create greater growth opportunities for industry, logistics and the real estate sector.

Without further reforms by the government and more substantial efforts by businesses to adapt to the new global environment, however, the growth trajectory is likely to flatten again quickly.

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Oliver Rakau

By wdo, 10 July, 2026

Deputy Chief Eurozone Economist Oxford Economics

Oliver Rakau ist stellvertretender Chefökonom für Europa bei Oxford Economics. Er ist im Frankfurter Büro des Unternehmens tätig und verantwortet insbesondere die Deutschland- und EZB-Prognosen sowie das thematische Research des Teams. Vor seinem Eintritt in das Unternehmen war er als Senior Economist bei Deutsche Bank Research in Frankfurt tätig und befasste sich dort schwerpunktmäßig mit der deutschen Wirtschaft und Industrie. Er hat einen Master-Abschluss der London School of Economics.

Oliver Rakau_Oxford Economics
Oxford Economics
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Deputy Chief Eurozone Economist at Oxford Economics

Oliver Rakau is Deputy Chief Economist for Europe at Oxford Economics. He is based at the firm’s Frankfurt office and is primarily responsible for the team’s forecasts for Germany and the ECB, as well as its thematic research. Before joining the firm, he worked as a Senior Economist at Deutsche Bank Research in Frankfurt, where he focused on the German economy and industry. He holds a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics.