R.03 / SPEECHES & STATEMENTS
On the record
Short, verified excerpts with date, venue and context. German originals are translated by this archive and marked; full texts are linked rather than reproduced.
How to read this archive
Notes on sources
Ministerial speeches come from official transcripts on bmds.bund.de. In June 2026 Die Zeit reported that some texts published under his name — including the Atlantic Council speech and several Bundestag speeches — were drafted largely with AI; the ministry described AI as a supporting tool. Statements are therefore presented as official positions of the officeholder.
| Date | Statement | Venue & context |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Dec 2015 | “I am grateful to this incredible company, its people and its customers for three years of achievement and inspiration.” (English original) | Telstra ASX announcement of his departure from Australia. |
| 11 May 2021 | “Ceconomy and MediaMarktSaturn are in a decisive phase.” (translated) | On his appointment as Ceconomy CEO; reported by ChannelPartner. |
| 8 Nov 2021 | “We have the clear goal of building a leading European omnichannel platform.” (translated) | Handelsblatt interview after 100 days at Ceconomy. |
| 2 Jun 2022 | “We are flying in game consoles.” (translated FAZ headline quote) | During global chip and supply shortages. |
| 2 Jun 2023 | “The cornerstone of our new strategy is the Customer Experience.” (English original) | Ceconomy Capital Markets Day, Cologne. |
| 19 Feb 2024 | “We need the same rules for everyone.” (translated) | CIO.de, on competition from Asian online platforms. |
| 6 Nov 2024 | “It is a blessing and a curse at the same time.” (translated) | OMR podcast, on the old Saturn slogan “Geiz ist geil”. |
| 28 Apr 2025 | “…our company is excellently positioned for the future.” (English version) | Ceconomy announcement of his departure for government. |
| 27 May 2025 | “It's about a digital lead. It's about digital sovereignty.” (translated) | re:publica 2025, speech “The digital ministry as a start-up”. |
| 27 May 2025 | “Without security there is no acceptance of digitalisation, no future for digitalisation.” (translated) | Same speech. |
| 24 Jul 2025 | “Europe must not become a bystander. It must be a co-author of the rules that will define the next digital era.” (English original) | Atlantic Council, Washington D.C. Reported in 2026 to have been drafted largely with AI. |
| 3 Aug 2025 | “We should also use technologies to protect our state and our democracy.” (translated) | Funke interview on Palantir, reported by ZDF; he added that Europe should also have companies offering such solutions. |
| 4 Nov 2025 | “AI is not the next stage of digitalisation — it is something entirely new, a new paradigm.” (translated) | Press conference on the Industrial AI Cloud. |
| 18 Nov 2025 | “We will shape Europe's digital future — together.” (English original) | Opening speech, Summit on European Digital Sovereignty, Berlin. |
| 18 Feb 2026 | “With the AI pact we bundle these strengths and bring the recently concluded free-trade agreement to life.” (translated) | Germany–India AI pact, New Delhi. |
| Mar 2026 | “Especially in regulated sectors like health, administration and industry, trustworthiness becomes the decisive competitive advantage.” (translated) | Bundestag, first reading of the AI Act implementation law. |
| Apr 2026 | “Computing power is the new raw material, and data centres are the refineries.” (translated) | Bundestag, National Data Centre Strategy. |
| 7 May 2026 | “Trust doesn't come from announcements; it comes from delivering, from implementation, from impact.” (translated) | Bundestag topical debate on the ministry's first year. |
| 7 May 2026 | “An idea remains an idea until someone implements it.” (translated) | First-anniversary event with Chancellor Merz. |
| 1 Jul 2026 | “A global key technology like artificial intelligence needs international cooperation.” (translated) | Germany–UK AI safety cooperation, London. |
| 8 Sep 2026 | “It's not about more state. It's about a state that can do more.” (translated) | Bundestag budget debate. |
| 23 Sep 2026 | “Our digital identity belongs to the people — not the state, not the platforms, not the companies.” (translated) | Bundestag, first reading of the Digital Identities Act (d-you). |
| 7 Oct 2026 | “In the end only one thing matters: that our promises are felt in the everyday lives of people and businesses.” (translated) | Interim review of state modernisation. |
Speaking record
Selected venues, 2025–2026
From the ministry's official speech list.
Industry & associations
Wirtschaftstag 2025 and 2026, Sparkassentag 2025, Bitkom 25th anniversary, Tag des Familienunternehmens, Ostdeutsches Wirtschaftsforum, Hannover Messe 2026, IFA 2026 opening.
Digital community
re:publica 2025 and 2026, BDZV #beBETA, FAZ AI conference, Handelsblatt GovTech summit.
International
Digital Summit Gdańsk, Atlantic Council Washington, European Digital Sovereignty Summit Berlin, AI Impact Summit New Delhi, ALL IN Montreal.
Sources
- BMDS speeches: bmds.bund.de/aktuelles/reden
- BMDS interviews and guest articles: bmds.bund.de
- Telstra ASX announcement, 4 Dec 2015: asx.com.au
- Handelsblatt, 8 Nov 2021: handelsblatt.com
- FAZ, 2 Jun 2022: faz.net
- CIO.de, 19 Feb 2024: cio.de
- OMR, 6 Nov 2024: omr.com
- ZDF, Palantir interview: zdfheute.de
- ZDF, AI-drafted texts: zdfheute.de