The formation of the new government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz marks the beginning of a legislative period in which key decisions for Germany’s digital future must be made. From the perspective of eco – Association of the Internet Industry, there is no time for announcements – decisive steps towards implementation must be taken within the first 100 days.
The new cabinet now faces major challenges. “The new Ministry of Digitalisation provides an opportunity to give digitalisation the political priority it needs – combined with clear responsibilities, implementation authority and its own budget,” says Oliver Süme, Chair of the Board of eco Association. At the same time, Süme emphasises that digitalisation is not just another routine government task: “The ministry must not become a digital policy fig leaf. The digital transformation must continue to be shaped across all departments and in close cooperation with specialist departments such as the economy, education, internal affairs and environmental policy, as it serves as an enabler for these sectors.”
eco calls on the German federal government to make digitalisation a strategic guiding principle of its policy agenda. This includes in particular
- An innovation-friendly legal framework that offers security and scaling prospects for digital business models.
- The rapid and practical implementation of European digital regulations – in particular the AI Act and the Data Act – with the involvement of industry.
- The accelerated expansion of digital infrastructures, in particular data centres and broadband networks, as the basis for digital independence and location attractiveness.
- The establishment of a high-performance data ecosystem that promotes interoperability and data usage.
- A coordinated and effective cybersecurity architecture that efficiently consolidates federal responsibilities and ensure consistent implementation.
These measures must be pursued with top priority in order to actively shape Germany’s digital future.
At the same time, delays such as those seen in the chancellor election must not be repeated. Effective policy-making can only work with reliable majorities.
“Now it’s all about implementation – starting from day one,” Süme continues. “The new German federal government must deliver initial measurable progress in the next 100 days. Without visible progress, Germany will continue to fall behind international leaders in digital transformation.”
The eco Association stands ready to serve as a competent and practical partner and will actively participate in the upcoming dialogue.
Further information on eco’s Internet Policy Agenda can be found here.
