German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) announced Wednesday at the National Maritime Conference in Emden that he plans to strengthen Germany’s maritime economy. He stated that “Germany has all the prerequisites to be a leading maritime nation in the 21st century” noting that there is ambition from the federal and state levels, as well as from companies and employees.
Merz emphasized that for an industrial and commercial nation like Germany, “maritime security is absolutely prerequisite for a successful economy”. He made this point while referencing the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that security and competitiveness are two sides of the same coin.
Addressing systemic issues, Merz argued that the main problem was not a lack of funding, but rather excessively long bureaucratic and approval processes. He therefore pressed for the swift adoption of the so-called “Infrastructure Future Act” (Infrastruktur-Zukunftsgesetz) by the Bundestag. The Chancellor recalled that this act had already been passed by the Federal Cabinet months ago. Its purpose, he explained, is to “accelerate procedures and structure the expansion of roads, railway lines, and waterways such that their development receives an overriding public interest status over all other public concerns”. Merz appealed to the colleagues in both parliamentary groups to approve this law quickly in the Bundestag.
The proposed “Infrastructure Future Act” has faced criticism because it would eliminate immediate nature protection compensation for infrastructure projects and significantly limit the legal rights of environmental associations. As a countermeasure, the governing coalition plans to introduce a “Natural Area Needs Act” (Naturflächenbedarfsgesetz). However, reports indicate that the Chancellor’s office has reservations about this replacement measure.
