Michel the German, a national personification such as America’s Uncle Sam or Britain’s John Bull, is a sleepy fellow with a nightcap. He is a bit conservative and not all that keen on disruption. Michel is, in other words, a suitable representative for the modern German economy, which has grown by a meagre 0.1% over the past five years and is, according to forecasts, now entering yet another year of stagnation. When voters head to the polls on February 23rd, the miserable state of the economy will be at the front of many minds.