Olaf Demuth, the newly elected president of the German construction industry association, recently criticized the failure to implement key political construction projects. Speaking to RTL and ntv on Thursday, he called for concrete action, insisting that the coalition agreement, which describes construction in extensive detail, must be fully put into practice.
Regarding the concept of a “building turbo” Demuth expressed skepticism. He noted that while it is positive to see an increase in building permits on the horizon, a construction project requires multiple stages: rapid permit acquisition and effective subsequent execution. He stated that the current system is faltering in the second phase.
Overall, he stressed that the progression is far too slow. In addition to bureaucratic issues, Demuth pointed to external factors that are significantly hindering construction decisions. These challenges include the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, persistent inflation, and the continuous rise in operational costs.
Demuth assumes the leadership role previously held by Peter Hübner, taking office at the industry’s annual Construction Day in Berlin. Notably, Federal Minister Friedrich Merz (CDU) will not attend the event this year.