In the run-up to the 2025 Bundestag elections, the Bundesverband Druck und Medien e.V. is publishing a position paper for the print and media industry entitled ‘Ohne uns macht keiner ein Kreuz!’. The position paper identifies nine specific areas of action that call for a sustainable economic policy and decisive political action.
With this position paper, the BVDM is bringing the key concerns of print and media companies into the political debate in the coming weeks. The positions make it clear where the industry’s shoe pinches and which decisions are essential for a functioning economy. The situation is serious, politicians must realise the extent of the current crisis, act decisively and set the course for an economic turnaround – for the industry and the entire German economy.
‘Germany can only remain efficient with a strong print and media industry. We therefore expect bold reforms and a policy that supports small and medium-sized companies and does not burden them. We also demand that all candidates in the 2025 federal elections stand up for the interests of printing and media companies, some of which are systemically relevant, and for more economic growth and less bureaucracy,’ explains Wolfgang Poppen, President of the BVDM. Because one thing is clear, according to Poppen: ‘Without us, no-one will put their cross in front of us! Just how relevant the print and media industry is for our country was demonstrated during the discussion about the early general election. Without the production of essential print products such as ballot papers, election posters and newspapers, large parts of democratic participation in Germany would be inconceivable.’
In the face of growing challenges, the print and media associations are calling for reliable framework conditions that give companies more room for manoeuvre and planning security, and not just in the position paper. Other demands include the reduction of bureaucratic hurdles, the promotion of innovation and the expansion of an efficient infrastructure. Climate and environmental protection should also be organised in a practical way by rewarding voluntary measures by companies instead of hindering them with unnecessary requirements. In addition, the right of the population to choose between analogue and digital communication should be protected.
BVDM
The Bundesverband Druck und Medien e. V. (bvdm) is the umbrella organisation of the German printing industry. As an employers’ organisation, political business association and technical trade association, it represents the positions and objectives of the printing industry vis-à-vis politicians, administration, trade unions and the supplier industry. The bvdm is supported by eight regional associations. Internationally, it is organised through its membership of Intergraf and FESPA. The printing industry currently comprises around 6,500 predominantly small and medium-sized companies with more than 106,000 employees subject to social security contributions.