More Respect for Self-Employment and Entrepreneurship

BDA CEO Steffen Kampeter of the BDA, on the ZEW study on business closures:

More Respect for Self-Employment and Entrepreneurship

Berlin, 18 August 2026. “When a company closes, most people immediately think of insolvency and bankruptcy. In reality, that applies to only one in eight closures. Almost 190,000 businesses ceased operations in 2025, many of them quietly, because no successor could be found, skilled workers were lacking, or the effort involved simply stopped being worthwhile for the owners.

That is precisely what should alarm us: Germany is currently losing economically healthy business substance. Not because of the economic cycle, but because the location itself is wearing entrepreneurs down. This is where Germany’s business model is beginning to crumble.

We need to regain a greater respect for self-employment and entrepreneurship. Those who take on entrepreneurial risk also take responsibility for the future of our country. Those who shy away from that risk, or make life more difficult for founders and entrepreneurs, reduce the economic opportunities of tomorrow and, with them, social cohesion.”