Germany and France: Together for a digital future!

Germany and France: Together for a digital future!

On May 22, 2025, Federal Digital Minister Dr. Karsten Wildberger (CDU) in Berlin with his French counterpart Clara Chappaz. The discussions discussed central topics of digital sovereignty, artificial intelligence (AI) and the European Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). Both ministers emphasized the need for an innovation-friendly and low-bureaucracy digital policy in Europe in order to strengthen the digital internal market and expand technological sovereignty. Wildberger emphasized the close partnership and strategic connection with France in the digital area, which forms the basis for deeper cooperation.

A central goal of the discussions is to reduce dependence on IT products from abroad. This is seen as a crucial step towards strengthening Europe's digital independence. The ministers announced the joint promotion of the use of AI in Europe and want to create favorable conditions for developers. This is also reflected in the planning of a cross-sector digital infrastructure that should include both public and private actors. The meeting is seen as a prelude to more intensive German-French cooperation in the digital sector.

Strategic realignment of digital policy

The geopolitical crises of recent years, such as the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, have clearly shown how vulnerable Germany is to technological dependencies. The Federal Ministry for Digital and State Modernization (BMDS) is therefore reorienting digital policy in order to achieve more independence and security. A central concern is control over critical infrastructure, data sovereignty and political freedom of action, especially in the areas of cloud services, network technology and operating systems.

The federal government has set itself the goal of reducing technological dependencies on third countries and plans to promote its own key technologies such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors and cybersecurity. A notable aspect is the intended expansion of a powerful German cloud infrastructure, focused on open interfaces and Europe-wide standards. Providers that do not meet the trust and security requirements should be excluded.

Joint development and digital integration

Demand orientation is intended to accelerate the development and market readiness of innovations. The state plans to act as an anchor customer for the domestic digital economy through bundled IT orders. At the same time, it is emphasized that digital independence should be achieved in close cooperation with European partners. Strategic alliances for the joint development of AI, cloud infrastructures, zero trust and open source are sought.

Companies and civil society are also required to implement these far-reaching goals. They should choose trustworthy European solutions and expand their digital skills in order to actively shape the digital transformation.

These progressive aspirations are in line with Germany and France's long-term goals to actively shape Europe's digital future and ensure that Europe's technological sovereignty is strengthened. This development could not only revolutionize the digital ecosystem in Europe, but also increase the competitiveness and security of European countries.

For more information, visit the articles from Official mirror and BMDS.