It's an icy winter's night in Ludwigshafen in southwest Germany.

I'm walking along the bank of one of Europe's great trade arteries, the Rhine River.

There are barges laden with goods moving past me,

and on the skyline ahead, there are countless cooling towers, pipes, cranes,

and steam rising off the giant chemicals production plant of the German

industrial giant, BASF. The company really is the foundation of Ludwigshafen's economy. It's been here for

160 years and the city has grown up around the industry. But what happens to a city like this when that

industry hits a crisis? I see very many people who are very unsure about their future.

My father works 33 years in the BASF for me.

This was the only company.

This was the only option, yes.

When you are looking on economics, there's no plan B.

This weakness in the Germany economy is becoming chronic.

Germany is just weeks away from a federal election,

pitting traditional parties against populist insurgents

on both the right and the left.

Voters in towns and cities like Ludwigshafen

will decide what comes next.

So let's head to Germany

where a political crisis has erupted.

Here in Germany, political parties

are launching their campaigns for the election on February 23rd.

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