- Only 8.5 per cent of the population believe that the German federal government has sufficiently advanced digital transformation (3.3% fully agree, 5.2% somewhat agree)
- Germans see the greatest need to catch up in the areas of administration (56.4%), digital infrastructure (50.7%) and cybersecurity (44%)
- More than a quarter of respondents do not consider any of the parties represented in the German Bundestag to be competent in digital policy
- Digital policy plays a role in the voting decisions of over a quarter of young voters
Oliver Süme, Chair of the Board at eco: “The growing scepticism of the population regarding the implementation of Internet policy issues is yet another wake-up call for the German federal government. Germany’s digital backlog will have dramatic consequences for the competitiveness and future viability of our economic location and could also be reflected in the results of the 2025 federal election.”
Berlin, 24 September 2024 – With just one year to go before the 2025 federal election, there is growing dissatisfaction in Germany with the digital policy of the German traffic light coalition government. After around three years of the coalition government, 86.2 per cent of respondents believe that the federal government is not advancing digital transformation sufficiently. This represents a significant escalation of criticism compared to last year’s results, when already 78.2 per cent of the population had expressed their dissatisfaction.
This finding comes from a representative survey conducted by the market and opinion research institute Civey, which was commissioned by eco – Association of the Internet Industry.*
High need for improvement in key digital policy areas
In particular, the respondents see the greatest need for action in the fields of digital administration (56.4 per cent), digital infrastructure (50.7 per cent) and cybersecurity (44 per cent).
“It is high time for the German federal government to reconsider its digital policy and to finally make it more effective,” alerts Oliver Süme, Chair of the Board of eco. The population rightly expects the implementation of future-oriented digitalisation. In particular, functioning digital administration and a well-developed digital infrastructure are key prerequisites for a successful digital transformation of the economy and society, Süme goes on to say. “It is alarming that in the past three years, there has still been no noticeable improvement in these areas for citizens. These are clear signals that the digital construction sites in Germany have still not been resolved and require a structured and efficient approach,” says Süme.
Regional differences: Brandenburg particularly poor in digital administration
These weaknesses are also reflected in the latest state election results: In Brandenburg, for example, dissatisfaction with digital administration (64.6%) and digital infrastructure (55.5%) is particularly high compared to the rest of the country.
“The survey results are therefore also an indicator of the possible outcome of next year’s federal elections that should not be underestimated,” cautions Oliver Süme.
Digital policy relevant for the voting decisions of over a quarter of young voters
More than a quarter of the German citizens surveyed do not consider any of the parties represented in the German Bundestag to be competent in digital policy.
16.2 per cent of those surveyed say that the issue of digital policy could have a very strong or strong influence on their voting decision in the next German federal election. Among the younger age group of 18-29-year-olds, even more than a quarter of eligible voters (25.8 per cent) feel this way.
* Civey conducted an online survey on behalf of eco – Association of the Internet Industry from 18 to 20 September 2024, polling 2,500 to 5,000 German citizens aged 18 and older.
