BDI President Peter Leibinger, Christiane Benner, head of IG Metall, and Michael Vassiliadis, chairman of IGBCE, have warned that Germany currently faces its greatest challenge since reunification. In a guest article for the “Handelsblatt”, they stated that enjoying freedom, unity, security, and prosperity is no longer a given, and that the “acquainted order cannot sustain itself.”
Ahead of a Coalition Committee meeting on Wednesday, they are demanding a “decade of new beginnings” and strongly advocating for decisive political leadership. They argue that achieving this requires a positive vision of the future that is widely supported, and it is the federal government’s responsibility to draw up this blueprint. Furthermore, they emphasize that the country must overcome its entrenched ideological divisions. They stress that their role is not to merely manage internal disputes or “organisational logic” within political parties, economic associations, trade unions, or NGOs. Instead, they assert that everyone involved must approach the situation with fresh thinking and overcome their established assumptions.
They concluded that a fundamental change in mindset is needed across the country, stating, “We must want more and achieve more.” Industry associations and industrial trade unions are collectively ready to present an agenda for a sustainable Germany that reduces costs-including those imposed by the state-while increasing both the volume and productivity of labor.
