Siemens CEO Calls for `Germany First' Where Europe Falls Behind

Siemens AG Chief Executive Officer Joe Kaeser said Germany must aspire to a distinct national strategy and not rely solely on its European partners if the region’s largest economy wants to maintain its place among global powerhouses like China or the U.S.

Speaking in Berlin, Kaeser called for a “Germany first” approach that would require the government to more clearly define its global interests. This is different, he said, from a nationalist “Germany alone” path, which he rejects. While European collaboration and integration remain key, “we can’t rely solely on Europe,” Kaeser said at the Suedduetsche Zeitung economic summit.