The ‘de-bureaucratisation’ of the economy is one of the major objectives currently being touted by almost all German political parties, presented as a recipe for reviving flagging economic growth. In this context, the German supply chain due diligence act (LkSG), passed on 11 June 2021 by a conservative and social-democratic majority, is a prime target. It has applied since 1 January 2023 to companies with more than 3,000 employees and since 1 January 2024 to companies with more than 1,000 employees.
As a Berlin correspondent for the French and Swiss press since the late 1990s, I cover a wide range of economic, political and social issues, with a particular focus on the German business and labour market. My areas of interest include co-determination, digitalisation, demographics and ESG/DEI policies.