Digital Minister Advocates for Open Standards and Open Source as Core Principles

The Federal Digital Minister, Karsten Wildberger, has made a strong case for enhancing digital sovereignty in Germany and Europe at the recent re:publica internet conference held in Berlin. He emphasized the importance of establishing open standards and open-source solutions as guiding principles for the digital landscape.

During his address, Wildberger, who previously served as the CEO of Ceconomy (which includes brands like MediaMarkt and Saturn), highlighted the urgent need for Germany and Europe to reduce reliance on traditional software vendors, cloud service providers, and major technology firms from the United States. He pointed out that his discussions since taking office have consistently revolved around these critical themes.

Wildberger articulated the pressing need to foster independence from dominant players in the tech industry, asserting that the current situation cannot be resolved overnight but requires an increased awareness and commitment to change. By leveraging German and European IT solutions, he believes there is an opportunity to create platforms and technologies that align with European values, such as freedom, the rule of law, justice, openness, social market economy, and a robust civil society.

One of the minister's proposals includes the creation of a 'Germany Stack'--a unified IT infrastructure featuring cloud and IT services that do not need to be duplicated multiple times. He also stressed that every citizen should have access to a digital identity through the proposed EU Wallet (EUDI).

Wildberger pointed out that over 75% of the cloud data in Europe is currently held by American hyperscalers, such as AWS, Google, and Microsoft. He questioned the sustainability of this dependency, asserting that the German government is committed to promoting European structures within cloud computing to foster fair, open, and innovation-driven competition.

Additionally, the minister expressed the urgent need for alternative solutions in digital payment systems that would gain public acceptance and offer citizens a sense of security. He emphasized the requirement for a trustworthy infrastructure that meets the highest security standards. Currently, he noted that 80% of payment providers are not based in Europe, resulting in sensitive payment data often leaving the EU legal framework.

While he did not elaborate on plans for a digital euro, he underscored the importance of decentralization in social media to facilitate better communication and interactions through open interfaces.

Wildberger also recognized the significant challenge of establishing an effective digital administration with functional e-government services. He noted that while other countries have centralized these efforts more effectively, he still seeks viable solutions for Germany. He plans to establish a federal center for IT security in close collaboration with the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) to lay the groundwork necessary for delivering digital services.

Furthermore, he emphasized the need for a significant economic boost, particularly for startups in the data economy and artificial intelligence sectors, ensuring that Germany remains an attractive location for innovation. His administration aims to create an environment that allows startups to thrive and develop their initiatives.

In response to inquiries about whether his newly formed ministry has established a secure messaging system, Wildberger indicated that they are still exploring the best infrastructure options to meet high security requirements, confirming that WhatsApp would not be used for official communication. Currently, much of the communication is conducted via phone calls and in-person meetings.