Günther Oettinger didn’t pull any punches when describing Germany’s downward spiral.
A German former EU commissioner has claimed that Germany is “a relegated country” in decline due to a lack of innovative capacity and a low willingness to reform.
Speaking at a congress of the Media Association of the Free Press in Berlin on Thursday, Günther Oettinger said the EU powerhouse is “a sick case” in need of “rehabilitation.”
He called for a radical change in tack from the federal government akin to the Agenda 2010, a legislative package introduced in Germany in the 2000s that aimed to reform the German welfare system and labor market.
“Back then, we gained a head start in terms of competitiveness and have now used it up,” he told attendees.
“If you descend or are on the descent, there is a risk of a loss of prosperity,” said Oettinger, who is a former prime minister of the German state of Baden-Württemberg and former EU budget, digital economy, and energy commissioner.