Commenting on the coalition agreement presented by the traffic light coalition, eco Chair of the Board Oliver Süme says: “I deeply regret that the traffic light coalition apparently does not want to use the historic momentum for a reorientation of digital policy in Germany and is wasting the opportunity to make digitalisation a top political priority for the next few years with a strong ministry of its own.
“On the one hand, the traffic light alliance is naming progress as its top priority – but without digitalisation there can be no progress. Digitalisation is THE engine, the prerequisite for all progress.
“In Germany, the digital transformation of the economy and society is currently not on a good path. Whether it comes down to digital education, the development of sustainable Smart Cities, or the global competition for digital markets – Germany is poorly positioned and is lagging behind in all instances.
“Leaving such an important challenge as an appendix in the existing ministry instead of having the many strands come together in a separate department with the necessary competences and resources is a wrong decision and bad news for Germany as a digital location.
“Now it will be important to at least clearly distribute the digital responsibilities of the various ministries so that digital issues are not again ripped to shreds between these ministries.
“While the Ministry for Digitalisation would have been the optimal approach, the digitalisation of Germany must be a priority for the German federal government in the coming legislative term. There must be a rethink here; there can be no ‘carrying on’ on this crucial topic. In order to coordinate and strategically address central issues of digitalisation, the new German federal government must establish a consistent digital strategy with clear priorities, goals and measurable success criteria. Only when priorities and goals are clear can their implementation be systematically advanced.”
