The Dialogue

Expert voices, research findings, and media reaction on Germany’s transformation challenge.

Expert Voices

Board-level perspectives from business, policy, and academia on what transformation requires.

Academia

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Those who move through the world with open eyes can see Germany’s self-imposed paralysis

Prof. Dr. Veronika Grimm

Economist, German Council of Economic Experts

Business

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The Iran crisis is further exacerbating the situation. Only if the government now sends a clear signal with decisive structural reforms will Germany be able to overcome its weak growth.

Tanja Gönner

Managing Director, German Association Industry

Academia

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For years we have been sleepwalking from one economic shock to the next, with glimmers of hope disappearing in the meantime.

Prof. Michael Grömling

Macroeconomics and business cycle, IW Köln

Academia

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We can’t afford any unnecessary things right now. We really need to focus on getting our budget and our reforms in order.

Prof. Dr. Dr. H.C. Monika Schnitzer

Chair of Comparative Economic Research, LMU

Politics

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Today I have the feeling that we are running away from such difficult decisions.

Gerhard Schröder

Former Chancellor of Germany, SPD

Academia

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The existing capabilities in the industrial structure would need to be shifted towards AI, biotechnology, quantum computing, novel materials and, above all, business models that do not yet exist.

Markus Brunnermeier; Stefan Kolev

Princeton; Ludwig-Erhard-Forum

What media says

National and international press on the transformation debate.

Handelsblatt

Herrenknecht attributes Germany's economic weakness to structural problems such as bureaucracy, high costs, and a tax system that discourages productivity, and calls for appropriate reforms rather than new debt.

April 30, 2026

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Handelsblatt

Germany's economic weakness stems from structural problems such as bureaucracy, high costs, and a tax system that discourages productivity, and calls for appropriate reforms rather than new debt.

April 30, 2026

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WELT

New

The consequences of the war in Iran are slowing economic growth in Germany. Leading research institutes predict that gross domestic product will grow by only 0.6 percent in 2026 [...].

April 5, 2026

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DER SPIEGEL

So far, efforts to give the state a boost have not been successful. Improvements are finally needed that the public can feel in their daily lives.

April 1, 2026

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Handelsblatt

"Federal Government and BDI Scale Back Growth Forecast. We are in a very critical situation. Speed is the decisive location factor in today's volatile global environment."

January 21, 2026

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RND/dpa

"The longest crisis since the founding of the Federal Republic – without far-reaching reforms, a permanent crisis looms."

December 27, 2025

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Studies & Facts

The evidence base for transformation decisions.

New

April 2026

Business Destination Germany 2026, KPMG

KPMG

“When all assessments of location factors are taken into account, the KPMG Location Index once again shows a significant decline [...]. This trend highlights the need for reform [...].”

Read the report