Obviously, giving public money to private companies is horrible, but, put in the context of how the world is structured nowadays, it makes sense. Russia made Germany their bitches just by talking about limiting gas supply - German energy production is dependent on gas, in no small part because they got conned into limiting nuclear energy production. The only way I can explain this move are massive bribes from Russia or massive amounts of stupidity, and Germans don't strike me as stupid people. Cowardly and greedy, yes, but not stupid. Now they're horrified that China might do the same with semiconductors, because guess who led the "Hey Europe! Go ahead, sell all your IP and tech production to China! They'll always be our good chums, Winnie the Pooh is their leader, and he's a great character!" movement? There's fear mixed with desperation in Germany because people are beginning to see just how drained and technologically backward Europe really is and fingers are beginning to be pointed in Germany's general direction.