In September last year, one of the four bridges crossing the Elbe River in the center of Dresden, the capital of Saxony, collapsed.

The fact that there were no casualties or injured was probably a miracle. The reason did not take long: the steel used during the construction of the bridge between 1967 and 1971 had suffered severe erosion, and cracks had been formed. The incident sounded an alarm across Germany, as thousands of bridges are in such a bad condition that they either need immediate renovation or need to be demolished and re -constructed.

Germany is based on old infrastructure

The problem, however, is not limited to bridges. Old roads and railways, energy and water infrastructure, telecommunications, as well as schools, universities and hospitals have also been neglected for decades. “Our country is operating with worn infrastructure,” warned SPD co -chairman Lars Klingbail in early March.

In addition, there are serious delays in modernization: the transition to a climate neutral energy system is done at a very slow pace, and the country’s digitization is also far behind. According to a recent survey by the German Industry and Chamber of Commerce (DIHK), more than 25% of businesses say that internet speed does not meet their needs.

Economists have warned political leadership for a long time that more investments are needed. A study by the Institute of German Economy (IW), published in the summer of 2024, estimates that the country needs € 600 billion in the next decade. Most of this amount is intended to improve the Transport Network.

Great problem the lack of houses – among other things

Germany also faces a serious problem of lack of housing, especially in large cities and urban centers. This has led to dramatic rental increases.

In Munich, for example, the price of 24 euros per square meter for new rental apartments is now considered common. This also has negative consequences: average income workers can no longer afford their stay in German cities, while employers who do not offer high wages find it difficult to find staff. Huge amounts of amounts are also required for the renovation of schools, kindergartens and universities, as well as for the digitization of education. There are about 50 billion euros in hospitals. In addition, € 10 billion is missing from the Civil Protection and Civil Disaster Civil Protection Infrastructure. Overall, the restoration and modernization of infrastructure in Germany is estimated at hundreds of billions of euros.

Curated by: Chryssa Vachcevanou