Whereas the German government and its economic advisors keep downplaying the threat of rising price inflation, leading conflict researcher Andreas Zick (Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Conflict and Violence at Bielefeld University) has warned of the dangers of persistent inflation for social cohesion. “Persistent inflation is an enormous challenge, because under certain circumstances it can lead to massive social conflicts,” he told RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND). “This is especially the case when they are accompanied by unemployment and a lack of prospects. Then protests arise, radical new political groups form, and populists try to capitalize on them.”