For a very long time we have had a political leadership that has been characterised above all by inaction, at least according to the general consensus.
I am not passing judgement or making an assessment, I am simply summarising public opinion.
The result is quite sobering when you look at the state of our country (Germany):
- dilapidated transport infrastructure, broken bridges
- Schools and universities in a dilapidated state and underfunded
- Military and police poorly equipped and understaffed
- etc., etc.
These are all long-term problems that cannot be solved by short-term decisions or projects.
By international standards we are doing quite well, although there is always room for improvement:
- Innovation and patents
Regularly among the top 5 in the Global Innovation Index
Particularly strong in patent applications, especially in mechanical engineering and the automotive industry
Many "hidden champions" (medium-sized world leaders) - Strong export performance
Consistently among the top 3 exporting nations in the world
Particularly strong in manufactured goods, machinery and cars - High quality of life
Very good work-life balance
High level of social security
Good healthcare system
Comparatively low crime rate - Education and training
Dual vocational training system considered internationally exemplary
High quality university education with low tuition fees
Good position in PISA tests (although not at the top) - Sustainability and environment
Pioneer in renewable energy
High recycling rates
Good urban air quality by international standards - Transport infrastructure
Dense transport network
Reliable energy supply
Good digital infrastructure (although there is room for improvement)
Okay, we have fallen behind in recent years, and that is the real problem. The sobering trend should give us pause for thought.
So the trend is regressive:
- Innovation and competitiveness
No longer at the forefront of future technologies (AI, digitalisation)
Skills shortages are becoming a brake on innovation
Bureaucracy and lengthy approval procedures hamper development - Infrastructures
Deteriorating bridges and roads
Digital infrastructure (broadband, mobile) mediocre by international standards
Delays in major projects - Education system
Declining PISA results
Shortage of teachers
School modernisation backlog - Energy transition
High electricity prices
Uncertainty over security of supply
Progress slower than planned
So Germany still has important strengths, but in many areas there are current challenges and a need for modernisation. Its former top positions in some rankings can no longer be taken for granted.
But these are the results of a longer period of time, not of 2-3 years, I can say that with certainty.
A lot has happened in the last 3 years, but it has not led to the majority of Germans taking notice and appreciating it. Quite the opposite! Extremists, Nazis and right-wing radicals like AfD, BSW and CxU are gaining ground.
So why do so many citizens believe that they can set off into a new world with a self-absorbed BlackRock disciple, a fact-denying narcissist from Bavaria and an overconfident egomaniac from a small party that has been responsible for exactly these conditions in the past? Or even the Nazis, who seem to have stepped out of a bad horror film about the Third Reich?
I'm not interested in the solutions and answers of these groups, but in the logic behind them.
On the one hand, the same people complain about the dilapidated state of things, that nothing has happened for too long - I'm just saying '16 years of Merkel', that's what they keep saying - and at the same time they attribute the ability to turn things around to candidates whose ideas and slogans make even the Merkel era seem agile and modern. The same people who have been unable to do this for years are now supposed to fix it. And it should be clear to everyone that today we need new answers to new challenges.
This logic makes no sense to me.
It's not just surprising and strange, I think it's stupid.
