Karsten Wildberger Public Policy — Federal Minister for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation

Verified fact

Appointment and political context

On 28 April 2025 Friedrich Merz named the then Ceconomy CEO as the planned minister for a new digital ministry. Observers called the choice a surprise: Wildberger had no political experience, although he had been active for years in the CDU-affiliated Wirtschaftsrat. He was appointed by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and sworn in before the Bundestag on 6 May 2025, the day Merz was elected Chancellor of a CDU/CSU–SPD coalition.

He was not a party member when sworn in and joined the CDU in May 2025, in North Rhine-Westphalia. He was not a candidate in the February 2025 federal election and does not hold a Bundestag seat.

How the ministry was assembled

Chancellor Merz created the BMDS by organisational decree on 6 May 2025. It took over units from six federal bodies:

Competences transferred to the BMDS
From	Competences
Interior (BMI)	Digital administration and the Online Access Act, federal IT procurement, federal networks, parts of IT security for the federal administration
Digital & Transport	Digital and data policy, international digital policy, fibre and mobile rollout
Economy	Digital economy, data law, coordination of bureaucracy reduction, parts of AI regulation
Justice (BMJ)	Bureaucracy reduction and better regulation; National Regulatory Control Council
Finance (BMF)	ITZBund, the federal IT service provider
Chancellery	Strategic digital-policy questions and foresight

The ministry was also given an approval right over essential IT expenditure of the direct federal administration, with exceptions for defence, security, intelligence and tax administration. Space and drones went to the Research Ministry instead.

“A year ago: seven people, one mission, an empty office.”

Bundestag, 7 May 2026 · BMDS transcript, translated

By May 2026 the ministry had around 500–550 staff; his two speeches that day gave slightly different figures.

Budget

Verified fact

The 2026 budget (Einzelplan 24) totals €4.47 billion: €1.36 billion core budget plus €3.11 billion from the special fund for infrastructure and climate neutrality. Broadband alone accounts for €2.26 billion. Breakdown on the Infrastructure page →

Leadership team

Thomas Jarzombek (CDU), Parliamentary State Secretary for digital affairs, since 2025.
Philipp Amthor (CDU), Parliamentary State Secretary for state modernisation, May 2025 – July 2026; then Minister of State in the Chancellery.
Gitta Connemann (CDU), Parliamentary State Secretary since late July 2026; the federal SME Commissioner's office moved with her.
Markus Richter, State Secretary, formerly the federal government's CIO.
Prof. Dr. Luise Hölscher, State Secretary until her departure was announced on 21 April 2026 (no reason given).

Legislative and reform priorities

Telecommunications Act amendment — draft adopted by cabinet on 28 May 2025: network rollout as an “overriding public interest” until 2030.
Data Act implementation law — cabinet, 29 October 2025.
AI Act implementation law — cabinet, 11 February 2026; in force July 2026 according to the ministry.
Regulatory sandboxes — cabinet 6 May 2026; Bundesrat approval 25 September 2026.
Digital Identities Act — cabinet 20 May 2026; first Bundestag reading 23 September 2026.
NOOTS state treaty — legal basis for register modernisation with the federal states.

Case studies of the main initiatives →

Institutional responsibilities

According to German Wikipedia, Wildberger is a member of the National Security Council and chairs the cabinet committee on state modernisation and bureaucracy reduction; the ministry announced the creation of a BMDS-led committee steering state modernisation on 30 July 2025. In June 2026 the National Security Council decided to set up a German AI Security Institute, run jointly by the BMDS and the Interior Ministry.

Before taking office he left his roles at Ceconomy. LobbyControl had called for him to give up association roles such as his HDE vice-presidency; see Criticism & Controversies.