Economy Former EU Commissioner Oettinger
“For me, Germany is on the decline, a country that has been relegated”
Status: 22.06.2023 | Reading time: 2 minutes
Günther Oettinger (canvas), discussing at the Congress of the Media Association of the Free Press
Source: dpa/Bernd von Jutrczenka
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Germany, a restructuring case? This is how the former EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger (CDU) put it at a congress in Berlin. Oettinger warned that Germany must become more innovative. Criticism also went towards the CDU opposition in the federal government.
Former EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger complains that, by international standards, Germany lacks the ability to innovate and is reluctant to reform. “For me, Germany is on the decline, is a relegation country,” said the CDU politician on Thursday at a congress of the Media Association of the Free Press in Berlin. “Germany is a sick case, a case for rehabilitation.”
The country must become faster and more innovative in implementing reforms. It is time for a reform, as was the case with the development of Agenda 2010. “None of this can be seen. Back then, we gained a head start in terms of competitiveness and have now used it up.”
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However, the negative development is not immediately noticeable because there is less unemployment compared to the days of Agenda 2010. “If you descend or are on the descent, there is a risk of a loss of prosperity,” said the former Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg.
The political debate in Berlin is in no way sufficient for the current challenges, the political situation is characterized by stagnation and mockery. But not only the federal government is responsible for the current state of the country, but also the weakness of the opposition, said Oettinger.
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The former EU Commissioner for Energy spoke at a congress of the Media Association of the Free Press, the umbrella organization of magazine publishers in Germany.
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