That's definitely part of the problem. Our politicians fail to realize that it gets harder and harder for people to simply keep their standard of living. Prices for virtually everything have gone up and every major city falls short on affordable housing. Hence the rents go through the roof and young people can't afford to start a family, let alone have kids. At least not in the stable and secured way they would want.

Essen and the whole Ruhr area have lots of unemployment and people who rely on welfare. Even some people who have jobs don't make enough money anymore to stay off the welfare system.

Germany, like America, is slowly losing its prosperity...