INSM Talk with Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger

Karsten Wildberger, Federal Minister for Digital and State Modernization, is quite good at managing expectations. This became clear at an event organized by the Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft (INSM). And yet I was impressed by his performance. He manages to convey the impression that he really understands what he is talking about. Take software development, for example: “If development is decentralized, it must be based on uniform standards.” In addition, he and his State Secretary Philipp Amthor, Member of the German Bundestag, make it clear that they are prepared to be measured by what they announce. And these are very clear goals for reducing bureaucracy and modernizing administration. Wildberger describes his tasks using the image of two suitcases.

There is the state modernization suitcase. It contains the following items:

• A state with less bureaucracy
• A state with less administration
• A state with modernized administration

And then there is the digitalization suitcase, which contains:

• Infrastructure
• Regulation / AI
• Cybersecurity
• Digital sovereignty

To convey the issue of bureaucracy at a level that resonates with businesses, the INSM invited entrepreneur Karlotta Gründobler. She was so frustrated after an unsatisfactory appointment at the building authority that she responded with a spontaneously recorded LinkedIn video that went viral. It is important to note that the video was about a company’s planned expansion investment in Thuringia on a 36,000 square meter site. A few hours after the video was posted, the prime minister had already responded.

However, this was an isolated case. During the subsequent panel discussion, it became clear that when it comes to approvals, it is important for political decision-makers to push for solutions to be found. The LNG terminals, Intel, and Tesla are examples of where this has worked, as Prof. Dr. Ines Zenke, President of the SPD Economic Forum, made clear. Hopefully, the new federal government realizes that something needs to be done about bureaucracy. Because “bureaucracy is the number one disadvantage of our location,” and I agree with INSM head Thorsten Alsleben on that.

I found a little dispute between moderator Helene Bubrowski (Table.Briefings) and Philipp Amthor about the responsibility of the many lawyers in the ministries and the Bundestag for bureaucracy very refreshing. Lawyers think in terms of problems, not solutions. You can watch the video on the INSM YouTube page. (MB)