Friedrich Merz calls for Germany to preserve 'digital sovereignty' in AI era

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared on November 2, 2026, that achieving digital sovereignty in artificial intelligence is an existential necessity for Germany and Europe to avoid reliance on the United States and China. Speaking in Berlin, Merz pledged to accelerate state digitalization and build technology capabilities across the entire value chain. Concurrently, a German National Security Council task force outlined a strategy to become a sovereign AI nation by 2030, focusing on industrial robotics alongside partnerships with France and Canada.

Friedrich Merz's remarks at Berlin AI conference

• ▪German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared at a November 2, 2026 Berlin AI conference that Germany and Europe must rapidly develop domestic artificial intelligence for digital sovereignty, an existential question to avoid total dependence on third parties.
• ▪German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned at a November 2, 2026 conference in Berlin that European nations risk surrendering economic control unless they catch up with artificial intelligence powers like the United States and China.
• ▪German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged at a November 2, 2026 AI conference in Berlin to accelerate digitalization across the full value chain from hardware to software.

National Security Council AI task force report

• ▪An artificial intelligence task force created by Germany's National Security Council released a report on November 2, 2026, setting a goal to make Germany a sovereign AI nation by 2030.
• ▪A November 2, 2026 report by Germany's National Security Council AI task force emphasized leveraging Germany's industrial base to develop specialized industrial artificial intelligence and robotics models.
• ▪A report by Germany's National Security Council AI task force stated that Europe must collaborate with partners like France and Canada to ensure sovereign access to artificial intelligence technology.

Assessments of Germany's digital readiness

• ▪The Ifo economics research institute reported that Germany remains unprepared for an artificial intelligence boom due to a small high-tech sector, skill shortages, and reliance on physical paper correspondence in public administration.
• ▪Although Germany established a national artificial intelligence strategy in 2018, critics note the nation lags behind faster-moving European economies such as Denmark and the Netherlands in digital infrastructure.