Extremism and racism endanger prosperity in Germany, warns Siemens boss Roland Busch. Other company management also sees it similarly.
Siemens boss Roland Busch has warned of the consequences of populism, extremism and racism for Germany as a business location. “Extremists and racists divide our society, divide our country, endanger our prosperity,” said Busch. “We want more diversity, more openness and more tolerance for a society worth living in and prosperity.” This is the basis for innovative strength and competitiveness.
Siemens and numerous other companies are participating in the “We stand for values” business alliance. Deutsche Bahn and Deutsche Bank are also involved. “We need a lot more Europe. We have to further strengthen this internal market,” said Deutsche Bank boss Christian Sewing. Populists wanted exactly the opposite, but the competitiveness of Germany and Europe was based on open markets.
Deutsche Bahn boss Richard Lutz reported political statements on the company’s internal platforms “that we do not approve of.” “When it comes to the question of what we still tolerate and where we draw the red line, we have tightened things up a bit,” said Lutz. “We enter into the discussion much more sharply and sometimes block comment functions.”
Companies and society as a whole must begin to “break down the echo chambers. This can only be done through dialogue and discourse,” said Lutz. “It’s incredibly tiring, but I believe that we have no other chance if we want to counter the populist division of society.” The railway company is also prepared to block individual employees from the internal networks if they make extreme statements.
Source: Stern
