The German federal government has decided not to conduct a comprehensive assessment of digital dependencies within the federal administration.
According to a reply from the Federal Ministry for Digital and State Modernisation to a written question posed by Green Party deputy Rebecca Lenhard, the ministry cited existing studies that already outline the most urgent areas of action. The ministry also stated it is “continuously monitoring developments in the field of European digital sovereignty” and is working toward assembling a “summary picture of the situation in digital sovereignty”. In this process, the definition of digital sovereignty-currently being developed as part of the Germany-France‑initiated Digital Sovereignty Taskforce-will be taken into account.
Lenhard had asked the ministry about the assessment at the end of last year. The ministry had replied that “a comprehensive and up‑to‑date inventory of digital dependencies in the federal administration is not currently planned”. She noted that at the end of January, a parliamentary committee for digital affairs and state modernization had suddenly mentioned an inventory, prompting her to press the ministry again.
Lenhard characterised the continued absence of a detailed overview as “unreasonable in light of the changing geopolitical landscape”. She warned that Germany is losing valuable time and money, urging the ministry to act. According to her, digital sovereignty cannot be achieved merely through definitional work; it requires transparency, strategic procurement, and decisive political actions.