The "sick man of Europe" moniker has resurfaced in recent weeks as manufacturing output continues to stutter in the region's largest economy and the country grapples with high energy prices.
It "has to do with the automobile industry, which is the heart of the German industry and many things hinge on that," he said.
Germany reported a foreign trade deficit for the first time in decades in May 2022, totaling 1 billion euros ($1.03 billion).
Plunge in business sentimentSinn said investor doubts about the feasibility of Germany's sustainability goals also play into the description of the country as the "sick man of Europe."
Uncertainty about energy prices has likely contributed to a "plunge" in business sentiment, Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg, wrote in the note.
Persons:
Hans, Werner Sinn, Sinn, CNBC's Steve Sedgwick, Thomas Lohnes, Berenberg, Holger Schmieding
Organizations:
European Central Bank, Getty, Ambrosetti, Berenberg
Locations:
Germany, Europe, Italy, Ukraine, Frankfurt, Saudi Arabia