eco on the announced appointment of Gitta Connemann to the German Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and State Modernisation

Berlin, 27 July 2026 - Commenting on the announced appointment of Gitta Connemann as Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and State Modernisation, Alexander Rabe, Managing Director of eco - Association of the Internet Industry, said:

"Gitta Connemann brings many years of experience in SME and economic policy to the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and State Modernisation. This presents a genuine opportunity for the Ministry: digitalisation must be more closely linked to competition, growth and innovation. Ms Connemann is already familiar with eco and the key concerns of the Internet industry through direct dialogue. This provides a strong foundation for constructive and solution-oriented cooperation."

At the same time, Rabe cautioned against interpreting the Ministry's remit too narrowly:

"Reducing bureaucracy is necessary, but it is not a comprehensive digital policy agenda. A modern state is important, but without high-performance digital infrastructure, competitive data centres and a competitive AI ecosystem, state modernisation will remain incomplete. Germany needs both: a public administration that functions digitally and a digital policy that enables innovation, investment and digital value creation."

VIn particular, eco expects the new Parliamentary State Secretary to ensure that ongoing projects continue consistently and without delay.

"A change in personnel must not lead to a political fresh start for projects already under way. Tangible progress on the EUDI Wallet and the Deutschland-Stack must follow without delay. New responsibilities must not create new holding patterns. The Ministry for Digital Affairs must now move from making announcements to delivering implementation."

In eco's view, Connemann's experience with SMEs should also be reflected in the design of new regulation:

"New regulatory requirements must be assessed for their practical feasibility, their impact on SMEs and their compatibility with innovation from the very beginning of the legislative process - not only once implementation creates problems for businesses. We do not need duplicate regulation, national solo initiatives or rules that only large companies with dedicated legal and compliance teams can manage. Good digital policy creates legal certainty while leaving room for innovation. It does not create the bureaucracy of tomorrow."

Rabe concluded:

"The Internet industry stands ready to support the future work of the Ministry for Digital Affairs constructively. What matters now is that this change in personnel accelerates implementation rather than delaying it. The Ministry's new leadership will ultimately be judged by its results."