- German Finance Minister Dr Wolfgang Schäuble talks about Europe’s future
- Minister Schäuble: “Hoping for a European digital union“
- Dr Hannes Ametsreiter: “Fair competition and future technologies are the key to a successful Europe”
- Start of the Vodafone Foundation’s “Chancen denken“ event series
Berlin, 28 September – In his speech at the opening of Vodafone Germany’s new Berlin Office, German Finance Minister Dr Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU) talked about the need for a European digital union.
“We have to create a single European continent, which is why I’m hoping that the European digital union will soon become a reality,” said Minister Schäuble. The German Finance Minister continued, “We can only overcome future challenges within a European framework.”
“People have benefited immensely from a stable and strong Europe over recent decades,” said Vodafone Germany CEO Dr Hannes Ametsreiter. “The key to Europe’s success has always been, and always will be, fair competition and future technologies. A gigabit society will provide many more people with access to education and labour markets than in the past. Making this vision a lasting, pan-European reality is in the primary interest of Vodafone as Europe’s leading telecommunication services provider. The latest EU framework on telecommunications confirms that we have adopted the right strategy.”
Minister Schäuble and Dr Ametsreiter’s speeches about the future of Europe marked the launch of the Vodafone Foundation’s new “Chancen denken“ (Creating opportunities – thinking for the future) event series, which will focus on education, equality of opportunity and social cohesion. The event coincided with the opening of Vodafone’s new Berlin office, which will house the Vodafone Foundation, the Vodafone Institute and Vodafone’s public affairs team, and focus on ideas and projects relating to current and future challenges that create sustainable value for society.
Guests in attendance included the Parliamentary Secretary of State to the German Minister for Transport and Digital Infrastructure, Norbert Barthle; the Chairman of the Foreign Committee, Norbert Röttgen; Berlin‘s Senator for Economic Affairs Cornelia Yzer; Berlin‘s Senator of Justice Thomas Heilmann; the CDU’s Internet Policy Spokesperson, Thomas Jarzombek; ANGA President Thomas Braun; and many parliamentary secretaries of state.
