Barbara Boyd argued that a major political shift in Saxony-Anhalt reflects growing dissatisfaction in Germany with economic and energy policies that she says have weakened the country’s industrial base and increased pressure on its population.

Boyd connected the development to Vice President JD Vance’s criticism of European political institutions and restrictions on political opposition.

Vance has publicly criticized European leaders over free speech and political participation, including during his 2025 Munich Security Conference address.

“Now, to many of us on the other side of the Atlantic, it looks more and more like old entrenched interests hiding behind ugly Soviet-era words like misinformation and disinformation, who simply don't like the idea that somebody with an alternative viewpoint might express a different opinion, or God forbid, vote a different way, or even worse, win an election,” Vance said.

Trump's Sovereign Wealth Fund: What Could It Mean For Your Money?

Vance also argued that European citizens do not view themselves merely as components of an international economy.

“Contrary to what you might hear a couple mountains over in Davos, the citizens of all of our nations don't generally think of themselves as educated animals or as interchangeable cogs of a global economy, and it's hardly surprising that they don't want to be shuffled about or relentlessly ignored by their leaders,” Vance said.

Boyd said economics played a central role in the Saxony-Anhalt result.

She focused on Germany’s Mittelstand, the network of specialized, family-owned midsized manufacturers that she described as the engine of the German economy.

FREE Gun Law Map: Laws Don't Pause During Social Unrest

According to Boyd, those companies face pressure from Chinese competition, higher energy prices and Germany’s green-energy policies.

She said China has developed thousands of specialized manufacturing companies that increasingly compete directly with German producers.

“The motor of the German economy is the Mittelstand,” Boyd said.

“These are the family-owned, specialized mid-sized manufacturers. They're now being killed off at a rapid rate, with many considering offshoring production from Germany simply to survive.”

Boyd also blamed Germany’s decision to shut down nuclear power and move away from inexpensive Russian energy after the beginning of the Ukraine war.

She argued that the resulting industrial problems complicate European efforts to expand defense production.

“So in Saxony-Anhalt, the people voted to stop what amounts to a national suicide,” Boyd said.

Boyd then turned to the Trump administration’s latest diplomatic efforts involving Russia and Ukraine.

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner recently met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow before traveling to Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Kushner described President Trump’s approach as extending beyond ending the immediate fighting to establishing economic conditions that could support a lasting peace.

“President Trump always says that the harder it is, if it's worthy, you have to give it everything you have,” Kushner said.

“And so, he's very determined to see the end to this war, to see the end of the deaths, to see the relief of the families, and to hopefully do what he loves doing the best, which is focusing on, you know, investing in business opportunities for the countries to become closer together, and only then brings prosperity and opportunity for the people of Ukraine and the people of Europe. Not just to figure out how do we end the current war, but how do we create the right conditions and arrangements for a long-term, durable peace?”

Kushner has publicly described economic investment and long-term prosperity as components of the administration’s approach to peace negotiations.

“To me, that was a very American response,” Boyd said.

Boyd said the administration’s approach centers on economic development for both sides while also benefiting the United States.

She contrasted that strategy with European efforts to increase military preparedness against Russia.

Boyd also connected developments in Germany with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s strategy toward the United States and European Union.

She argued that Carney is tying Canada more closely to a European political and economic system facing growing internal problems.

“And I think it means the end of Mark Carney's fever dream about rescuing the old globalist world order from Donald Trump,” Boyd said.

She then turned to Canada’s trade dispute with the United States. Canada recently imposed retaliatory tariffs on American goods, with some measures targeted at politically sensitive U.S. industries and states.

Boyd cited Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s argument that the tariffs would have virtually no inflationary effect on the United States.

Bessent has publicly said his Treasury economic team calculated that even complete pass-through of the Canadian tariffs would produce only a 0.02% effect.

“I will tell you, last week I had the Treasury Econ team go through and what could this cause these tariffs add to inflation in the US if there's 100% pass-through, which there never is, .02. .02. There there is no inflationary pass-through. And so the pain to the US, there is none,” Bessent said.

Boyd concluded by arguing that the political development in Saxony-Anhalt could have consequences extending beyond Germany, particularly as European governments confront economic pressures while pursuing expanded defense commitments and Canada moves toward closer cooperation with the EU.

“So, a small province in Germany really has created a strategic earthquake and possibly ended the threat of a war to end all wars on this planet,” Boyd said.

WATCH:

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Objectivist. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.