“Germany has been developing economically in the wrong direction for about 10 to 15 years,” said Ola Källenius (56) in an interview with “MirrorIf you don’t turn this around, “then the populists will come from the right who have no solution for anything.” Källenius sees one reason for the problems in the Germans’ lack of motivation. It’s like saying before a World Cup that we train enough, even though everyone else trains twice as much. Everyone knows that this is not how you become world champion.
Germany have some of the highest labor costs in the world. For years it was possible to compensate for this with increased productivity, but that is no longer enough. “We don’t want Asian conditions in Germany, but when it comes to energy, taxes and labor costs we have to move in a direction that makes entrepreneurship and investments in Germany worthwhile,” said the Mercedes boss. Otherwise the capital would flow elsewhere.
Germans have to work more again
Källenius defended the right to part-time work, but with restrictions. “Part-time work for a material reason such as raising children or care is a wonderful instrument; many people have been able to be retained by their employers or brought back into the labor market.” But it is also clear that Germans as a whole will have to work more again, otherwise “our unique productivity machine will stall even more”.
Källenius also called for a change of course with regard to European industrial policy: “We have to move away from obligations and penalties and towards market-based incentives and massive investments in infrastructure. Regardless of whether it is about chemicals, steel or cars – we make the same methodological mistakes everywhere.” Europe is losing its economic strength.