The newly established Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and State Modernization, spearheaded by CDU Minister Karsten Wildberger, is facing mounting criticism regarding its impact and effectiveness. While defending his approach, Wildberger has drawn comparisons to a football team revitalized by a new coach, suggesting a shift in dynamics rather than wholesale personnel changes. However, this analogy is failing to quell concerns among experts and even within the governing coalition regarding a perceived lack of tangible progress.
The ministry, formed under the black-red coalition government, consolidated departments from five existing ministries and the Chancellery. Despite the ambitious modernization agenda approved in October, critics contend that the first six months have yielded minimal concrete results. Bernd Schlömer, Digital State Secretary of Saxony-Anhalt, voiced a sentiment widely shared within the FDP and beyond: “We all want this to be a success. But there is still a lack of dynamism and agility. And not much has happened yet.
Wildberger’s insistence on actively engaging with departmental projects, particularly those concerning the development of planned administrative applications, is also drawing scrutiny. He argues that ministerial involvement is essential for driving innovation and ensuring solutions meet departmental objectives, stating, “A minister must demonstrate an interest in the solutions his people are developing”. This direct involvement, while intended to facilitate progress, has raised questions about potential micromanagement and the potential for stifling bureaucratic initiative.
The fundamental challenge facing Wildberger’s ministry appears to be reconciling the stated ambition of technological modernization with the established inertia of the German administrative structure. While structural reorganization alone does not guarantee success, the lack of discernible impact in the short term raises serious questions about whether the ministry is equipped to deliver on its mandate and whether the current approach is fostering the innovation and agility it claims to champion. The political pressure on Wildberger and the coalition government is likely to intensify unless the ministry can demonstrate a clear trajectory toward delivering meaningful and transformative change.