"Stagnation is our worst enemy"

The parties governing at the federal level did not always achieve good results in the two state elections in March. This shows that politicians must initiate changes in order to solve the structural problems in Germany.

In the Baden-Württemberg state elections, the CDU failed to achieve its desired change of power. The Greens narrowly edged out the Christian Democrats and are expected to provide the Minister-President, Cem Özdemir. The SPD plummeted to a new low with 5,5 percent of the vote, barely remaining in the state parliament. In Rhineland-Palatinate, it lost its majority and, after 35 years in power, is now only the second-strongest party behind the CDU. In both states, the AfD made significant gains.

From the perspective of the skilled trades, this should be a wake-up call, especially in Berlin, for the governing parties to finally initiate far-reaching reforms. "Those who don't take action will be left behind. That's the key takeaway from the recent elections, which were also influenced by politics in Berlin," explains Jörg Dittrich, President of the Central Association of German Crafts"Now all parties must finally understand: Our worst enemy is not change, but stagnation. Germany needs a positive social narrative and an agenda of new beginnings."

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The skilled trades sector is therefore calling for a "political breakthrough." The structural problems facing Germany as a business location must finally be addressed. Dittrich: "Essentially, it's about drastically reducing burdens, generating new momentum, and strengthening the resilience of the economy. To achieve this, it is essential to give businesses and employees back more freedom: with less bureaucracy, lower taxes and levies, and affordable energy."

The federal government must now present a "coherent reform concept" as quickly as possible. "At the same time, I strongly warn against drawing the wrong conclusions from the election results. The answer cannot be to further entrench ourselves, to focus on the next state elections, or even to pit employees against employers. We in Germany must now pull together and demonstrate the courage to change. The federal government would be well advised to take the lead in such a reform movement," said Dittrich.

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