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Presenter Zervakis and Chancellor Scholz on the re:publica stage: “Today I applied for a new identity card and passport offline”
Photo: ANNEGRET HILSE / REUTERS
Olaf Scholz appeared at the re:publica network conference on Thursday afternoon.
In a speech and a subsequent conversation with the moderator Linda Zervakis, the Chancellor touched on various topics in the field of digitization and network policy, from hate on the Internet and data protection to semiconductor production in Germany and start-up funding.
Scholz promised, for example, to reduce the duration of administrative procedures in Germany by at least half at all state levels.
According to Scholz, the corresponding legal framework for this should be in place by the end of the year.
When moderator Zervakis asked when exactly ID cards could be extended online, Scholz did not want to give a specific date.
"I don't want to say that exactly because I know the processes in Germany," says Scholz with a smile.
Instead of further details about his plans to digitize the administration, the Chancellor related the personal episode that he had been to the Citizens' Registration Office today to extend his identity documents.
"I applied for a new identity card and passport offline today," said Scholz cheerfully.
"There was no other way." However, he would also like to see digitization accelerate and will drive the issue forward with great speed, the Chancellor added in general.
When asked about Germany's blatant deficits in digitization, the Chancellor replied that it was not all bad.
As an example, he referred to the decision of the US chip giant Intel to build a new plant in Magdeburg - although the promised billions in subsidies are more likely to have taken care of this than the country's digital infrastructure.
Chancellor leaves the conference immediately after the lecture
Scholz's appearance marked the first visit by an incumbent German head of government to re:publica.
The organizers had tried in vain for years to persuade Angela Merkel to visit.
Scholz received the strongest applause from Schelte for the previous government, while there was only isolated applause from the audience for his rather general digital policy announcements in the speech.
The digital politician Anke Domscheit-Berg from the left criticized Scholz's appearance as "maximum non-binding".
She pointed out that the online perso should actually come as one of 25 services by the end of 2022.
The evening before, during his re:publica presentation, Internet expert and SPIEGEL columnist Sascha Lobo called on the audience to take a critical look at the visit of the chancellor and the other ministers.
"Tomorrow, put pressure on Olaf Scholz and every minister who comes here that they should get the shit done and finally get it done with digitization in Germany, in Europe and the world," he said on Wednesday evening.
Scholz emphasized twice in his speech that he was looking forward to later talking to the audience about various topics.
However, questions from the audience were not planned and could not be asked.
According to SPIEGEL information, Chancellor Scholz left the event immediately after his speech.
"There was no more interaction today, but we gladly accept his offer and would be happy to have further dialogue," re:publica organizer Beckedahl told SPIEGEL.
Scholz criticizes the network policy of China and Russia
Against the background of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, Scholz warned against using the internet as an instrument of power.
"Digital technologies are increasingly being misused as a geopolitical instrument of power, sometimes also specifically for disinformation campaigns," said the SPD politician.
The risk of targeted influence campaigns from Russia cannot be taken seriously enough, Scholz continued.
The Chancellor expressly criticized China and Russia for attempting to regulate the Internet.
"Knowledge is power.
And not a few feel threatened by this power of knowledge,” he said.
"That's why we are witnessing how state actors set limits on the free Internet." It is important "to preserve and strengthen the Internet as the progressive, democratizing space for global networking and knowledge exchange," said the Chancellor.
Scholz also commented on the controversial EU plans to monitor private chats in the fight against child abuse.
More needs to be done in the fight against sexualized violence against children, but the right balance needs to be found.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and Digital Minister Volker Wissing both have in mind that there will be a “pragmatic solution”, said Scholz.
A solution is needed that "enables the necessary control, but does not interfere too much with private living spaces," said Scholz on the subject, pushing the current smoldering conflict away from himself in the chancellery and onto his colleagues in the cabinet.
At the re:publica, Volker Wissing (FDP) once again spoke out vehemently and comprehensively against the EU Commission's plans to scan chat messages.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) initially supported the initiative, but later distanced himself from chat monitoring.
(Read more about the EU's plans here.) On Friday in Luxembourg, the EU interior ministers will discuss for the first time the plan to oblige providers of messenger services, among other things, to check chats for depictions of child abuse.
Data protectionists warn that encrypted chats could also be spied out in the future in the search for suspected pedophiles.
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