German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said major companies at an economic summit hosted by his government pledged about 230 billion euros ($258 billion) in investment. Amazon committed 16 billion euros, the government has a partnership with Nvidia, and Schwarz Group, Blackstone, Microsoft and Sanofi also made unspecified commitments. The two-day summit, attended by more than 200 corporate leaders, aims to draw more foreign money into Europe’s largest economy, which has struggled with sluggish growth; growth is projected at 1.3% for 2026, driven mainly by public investment. Merz pledged to cut bureaucracy, speed up approvals and improve infrastructure, while business leaders have grown impatient with the slow pace of reforms.
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GermanyEuropeGDP growthFriedrich Merz
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EUR/USD
▲ Likely positiveRelevance: low
| Market | Currencies |
|---|---|
| Close on 10/19/2026 | 1.12125 |
| Change that session | -0.24% |
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