> Two decades ago, Germany revived its moribund economy and became a manufacturing powerhouse of an era of globalization.
If they're referring to Gerhard Schröder's "Hartz reforms" in which the social state was slashed while (oh, the irony) the Social Democrats were governing, I'm sure the WSJ applauded those, and maybe they increased Germany's international competitiveness a bit, but to say that Germany's economy was "moribund" (i.e. on its deathbed) is a bit of an exaggeration.
My take on the current situation: companies don't like it if anyone other than the conservatives is in power, so they are careful with investments. Plus the global situation is still unstable, interest rates have risen, and German companies are notoriously cautious - one more reason to hold back investments. Add to that the lack of qualified personnel - despite its "recession", Germany currently has record low unemployment.