Today, the German Bundestag begins its deliberations on the 2024 federal budget and the German federal government’s financial planning for the period up to 2027. In this context, eco Chair Oliver Süme cautions against any further cuts in funding for the implementation of digitalisation plans and projects. “The coalition must recognise that digital progress requires an appropriate digital budget. The digital transformation of the economy and society simply comes with a cost. Cutting back on the digital budget will have a direct impact on the future viability of Germany as a digital centre.”
It is essential that the digital ministry has the adequate funds to shape digital policy and can also exert influence beyond its own department. Digitalisation stands as a pivotal, central cross-sectional task for the entire political domain.
“It is only if the Digital Minister is given his own budget to support cross-departmental projects that he can set the decisive course for digitalisation in Germany,” Süme goes on to say.
“Digital technologies present numerous solutions for enhanced efficiency. These are already helping to actively reduce costs in many areas of the economy and society, to promote sustainability, and to instigate new momentum for society, the economy and administration. Cutting back on digitalisation, of all things, would mean putting the brakes on developments and innovations that ensure our competitiveness and future viability. There is no substitute for digital structural change – the German traffic light coalition should therefore opt for a green light on the digital budget.”
