By Andrea Thomas
BERLIN (Dow Jones) – AfD demands would damage Germany’s digital economy and massively burden its competitiveness. The digital association Bitkom comes to this conclusion in a position paper. The association warned that the AfD’s orientation was diametrically opposed to the basic values and goals of the German digital economy in almost all areas.
“Germany’s digital economy stands for innovation and internationality, for an open society, global exchange and permanent change. The digital economy develops technologies that connect people all over the world, overcome borders and promote the creation of a global community,” said Bitkom President Ralf Wintergerst.
Bitkom examined specific positions of the AfD in six policy areas with a view to possible effects on the digital economy. These areas include immigration, the internal market, education, sustainability and climate protection, technology and innovation and digital sovereignty.
The digital association comes to the conclusion that under the conditions of the AfD policy, the shortage of IT specialists would become massively worse. There will already be a shortage of 149,000 IT specialists in Germany by 2023. This gap cannot be closed without immigration. “Almost 1.4 million people from all regions and countries work in Germany’s IT and telecommunications companies. 180,000 people are of other nationalities, 70 percent come from outside the EU. They are indispensable for digital Germany. Diversity makes us strong,” said Wintergerst. “If we want to keep pace with the leading innovation locations such as the USA and China, we have to bring the best IT specialists in the world to Germany.”
These people can choose where they work – Germany applies to them, not the other way around. Therefore, Germany must be highly attractive not only as a business location, but also as a place to live.
Concern over denial of man-made climate change
According to its own statement, the German digital economy is also very concerned about the denial of man-made climate change. “Closing our eyes to this deprives us of opportunities in the economy,” the paper says. From a scientific perspective, it is undisputed that the way in which we live, do business and work must be further developed in a climate-friendly manner. It is about making full use of the potential of digital technologies for climate and environmental protection while at the same time promoting prosperity across society.
When it comes to education, the AfD’s positions are also contrary to the needs of German companies. In its European election program, the AfD is explicitly against “efforts to digitize teaching in general,” as the association warned. Bitkom and its companies, on the other hand, stand for a modern education system, which of course includes digital teaching and learning methods. “In the digital world, media literacy and digital skills are just as important as the traditional school curriculum,” said Wintergerst.
The companies in the German digital economy also firmly reject the AfD’s demands for an exit from the EU, the fundamental aversion to technology and innovation, and their call for self-sufficiency among the EU member states. A backward-looking policy that wants to decouple Germany from global developments in the digital economy and raises borders where openness is needed is a “massive danger for Germany as a business location,” as Bitkom warned.
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 04, 2024 04:09 ET (09:09 GMT)