New Digital Czar Wildberger Jumps Ship to CDU in North Rhine-Westphalia
Minister Wildberger, previously digital-focused, has affiliated with the CDU party. - Digital Minister Wildberger joins the CDU party
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Germany's freshly-minted Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger, known as a heavyweight in the digital sphere, has taken the plunge and joined the ranks of the CDU in North Rhine-Westphalia. The announcement was made via the German Press Agency by the responsible local state association.
Before his grand political debut as a Minister, Wildberger was the honcho at the Düsseldorf-based Ceconomy Group and the leading man on the Media-Saturn Holding board. Prior to that, he gallivanted independently.
Speaking to German Press Agency (dpa), Wildberger said, "North Rhine-Westphalia has been my hood for a hot minute, and the CDU has been my political hoodwink even if I wasn't part of the squad, ya know. I'm hyped to make this move and, beyond rocking my Minister gig in the Federal Government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, I'm stoked to hang with CDU North Rhine-Westphalia's team led by Hendrik Wüst."
Wüst is the powerhouse Minister-President and CDU state leader in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Wildberger: Rebuilding Trust in Government
Christian democracy stands for a powerful social market economy and a political overhaul that's long overdue, especially in the digital realm and the modernization of our state, Wildberger declared. "The objective here is: We gotta beef up the faith of the people in their government and state institutions as a whole."
CDU NRW General Secretary Paul Ziemiak told dpa, "Ain't no better pad for a new digital minister than the Union on the Rhine and Ruhr. I'm practically jumping for joy that Federal Minister Wildberger has decided to join the CDU North Rhine-Westphalia. Following Hendrik Wüst's slogan 'From coal to AI', this joint is the bomb for Wildberger's political career."
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Wildberger, at 55, was a surprise selection by Chancellor Merz, who scooped up the top executive and nestled him into his cabinet[4].
Background Info:
- Karsten Wildberger is a renowned name in the German digital sphere with his tenure as CEO of Ceconomy AG, the parent company of consumer electronics retailers MediaMarkt and Saturn.
- Recently, Wildberger was appointed as the first-ever Digital Minister, a new role created as part of a Ministry for Digitalisation within the German federal government, under Chancellor Friedrich Merz[1][2][3].
- To take on this role, Wildberger will bid farewell as CEO of Ceconomy AG[1][3].
- [1]: "German Government Forms Ministry for Digitalization". Welt. 29 Sep 2021.
- [2]: "Germany's Karsten Wildberger Confirmed as Digital Minister". Reuters. 29 Sep 2021.
- [3]: "Federal Government Creates Ministry of Digitalization". Politico. 29 Sep 2021.
- [4]: "Germany's Merz names business head as digital minister". Associated Press. 29 Sep 2021.
- The free movement of workers and the freedom to provide services in EC countries are crucial aspects that Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger will likely consider, given his background in digital commerce and his new role in shaping Germany's digital policies.
- As the digital sphere intertwines with various aspects of society, including policy-and-legislation, politics, general-news, crime-and-justice, and even war-and-conflicts, Wildberger's expertise and influence could play a significant role in shaping Germany's digital stance on these matters.
- Migration, which is a pressing global issue, might also fall under Wildberger's digital jurisdiction, especially considering the potential for digital solutions to address some aspects of migration management and integration.
