The Ernst & Young Russia Attractiveness survey 2013 says (p. 4):
The Germans made a big mistake, by betting on Russia's non-energy related economic future. It's not as bad as French investments in Greece, Spain, and Italy, but the long-term impact may be rather serious. The war with Ukraine effectively killed FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) in Russia. What were they thinking? Putin probably thought that he had the Germans and French by the balls.
- A large and expanding consumer market, solid telecommunications infrastructure and abundant natural resources are central to Russia’s competitiveness. Respondents had a mixed view of the human resource potential and research, innovation and entrepreneurial environment in Russia. High levels of corruption, deficiencies in the legislative environment and inter-regional disparities limit Russia’s FDI potential.
- Companies from the US, Germany and France were the top investors in Russia in 2012. The number of FDI projects from Germany more than doubled, mainly because of increased investment from automotive companies.
The Germans made a big mistake, by betting on Russia's non-energy related economic future. It's not as bad as French investments in Greece, Spain, and Italy, but the long-term impact may be rather serious. The war with Ukraine effectively killed FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) in Russia. What were they thinking? Putin probably thought that he had the Germans and French by the balls.