Opinion: A coalition for the industrious and founders – or the crash is coming
The federal government must deliver – for start-ups and SMEs. Anyone who wants to get something off the ground must no longer be suffocated by regulations.
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They have reached an agreement – and they are doomed to succeed. It is difficult not to speak of a government of destiny when, on the last day of the coalition talks, the AfD has moved ahead of the CDU/CSU in the polls as the strongest party. Fortunately, it will probably be 2029 before there are actually federal elections again, but one thing is clear: confidence is different.
To make it as explicit as possible: Prosperity and recognition must return to the average citizen. Put an end to the corset of authority! Anyone who wants to get something off the ground in Germany must be able to do so again from now on without being punished with a regulatory cudgel.
Corporations can do bureaucracy
Yes, in theory you can set up a company in Germany and rise through the ranks if you work hard. But let's be honest: many people in Germany want to create something, but the obstacles in the way are rocks to be avoided. SMEs simply groan under bureaucracy more than corporations because they lack the means to deal with taxes and regulations "creatively". As a result, the will to found a company often ends before it is even registered with the trade office.
It is quite clear that individual groups have a power of implementation that others completely lack. Large companies shrug off a number of regulations, particularly in the area of digitalization – then you just hire an extra employee here and there or buy the latest ERP module.
Exceptions are not enough
And the answer cannot be more exceptions that first have to be looked through, researched and applied for. The more complicated the system, the more a few large companies benefit from it. It is precisely now that a massive simplification of our bureaucracy must begin, one that rewards SMEs and start-ups in particular with a leap of faith and does not punish them with a regulatory hammer.
It was and will be the many SMEs that make our country successful. Not the corporations and the few lighthouse projects. Of course, nobody wants to see them disappear, but if we only focus on them, then the hard-working average citizen will simply remain stuck as an employee – regardless of whether they want to or not.
Simply being able to do it
It is probably difficult for many political decision-makers to comprehend how impenetrable the jungle that is now proliferating in Germany is. After all, they only deal with it and only see the trees. But anyone who starts a business has a brilliant idea – and wants to put their energy into it rather than filling out questionnaires at the tax office or fearing warnings because something has not been meticulously implemented correctly.
Germany has already shown what is possible with Ludwig Erhard. The central challenge for the new government must be: create the basis for a second economic miracle now – and do it from the bottom up, not from the top down!
(fo)
