In its final report, the Expert Commission on Gas and Heat set up in the fight against high gas prices makes proposals on how to relieve the burden on citizens and industry while maintaining gas savings incentives and linking this to a longer-term transformation perspective.

Germany needs a modernisation and investment push for the future. Because only a modern country is capable of action and can guarantee security, environmental protection, prosperity and jobs as well as democracy in equal measure.

After managing to regain a foothold over the summer, the German economy slowed down towards the end of the year with the pandemic additionally curbing activity once again. While commodity and supply shortages hampered wide sections of the manufacturing industry, the services sector became the engine of growth over the summer. All in all, we expect gross domestic product for the current year to come in at only 2.5 percent over last year in real terms.

Transforming new knowledge into productive growth is the decisive factor when it comes to increasing prosperity. The social market economy is the best possible social system in that respect.

Germany is a leader in all things globalisation, maintaining close ties with the world’s most important economies. This could pay off even more in the coming decades. By investing in emerging markets, closely aligning itself with highly specialised, international companies and investing heavily in research, German industry is setting the course for a successful future.