"The end of the summer break must mark the beginning of a vigorous autumn of reforms," Melnikov told the newspapers of the Funke Media Group, including the "Hamburger Abendblatt". "The federal government picked up speed before the summer break; it must now maintain this momentum and significantly increase it given the current situation. Announced reforms should now be translated into legislation as quickly as possible so that the relief reaches businesses." 

Key topics: Labour, energy, taxes

On the issue of reducing bureaucracy, the federal government is "on the right track," added Melnikov. "The planned reversal of the burden of proof is a real paradigm shift." The same courage is now needed for labour costs, energy prices, and taxes: "Especially with tax reform, we currently see more drawbacks than advantages. This particularly affects family-owned SMEs and the industrial base of our location. Every further bankruptcy costs jobs, tax revenue, and trust."

The DIHK Chief Executive warned: "We are still in one of the greatest economic crises in the history of the Federal Republic. The federal government is being challenged as rarely before to act in a unified manner. There is no time for party-political trivialities while other locations are becoming faster and more innovation-friendly.