Why German digital policy is failing

The grand coalition is heading towards the end of the current legislative period, during which it has fully or partially implemented 82% of its digital projects. The digital association Bitkom described its assessment of digital policy as "mixed", but also pointed to some good examples in the healthcare and education sectors.

In an international comparison, such as the McKinsey "Digital Sentiment Survey" consumer survey, Germany lags behind. The pace of digital transformation in business and society must therefore pick up significantly if Germany wants to catch up, which is reflected, among other things, in the low level of digital usage behavior among Germans (65%) compared to the European average (80%).

Even when looking at the positive examples, the picture is cloudy. The introduction of the electronic patient file (ePA) and health apps on prescription have set the course for the digital healthcare system. However, a survey by the Allensbach Institute for Public Opinion Research shows that Germany has fallen far behind the USA and Spain when it comes to networking healthcare facilities, diagnosing illnesses and telemedicine.

The economy and research, especially in climate issues, also require extensive and sustainable digitalization measures that enable nationwide 5G
supply is a prerequisite. Otherwise, Germany will be completely left behind in the digitalized world of work. At the same time, we need to be resilient so that cyberattacks on the state and companies come to nothing.