Germany's Efficiency Crisis: Mega-Projects Bogged Down in Delays and Overruns

Europe - Ekhbary News Agency

Germany's Efficiency Crisis: Mega-Projects Bogged Down in Delays and Overruns

Germany has long been synonymous with engineering precision and efficiency, but this reputation is increasingly under strain from a series of monumental construction project failures. Airports, train stations, and concert halls, once intended as symbols of German prowess, are instead years behind schedule and billions over budget. The new Berlin airport, planned for five years, took 14 to complete. Stuttgart's central station remains under construction after 16 years. Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie concert hall took nine years instead of three, with costs sometimes ten times higher than promised. These examples are not isolated incidents but symptoms of a deeper systemic issue affecting German infrastructure.

The Cologne Opera stands as a particularly stark illustration of this challenge. Built in the 1950s as a symbol of modern democracy, it was a cultural jewel that required renovation in 2012. The plan seemed straightforward: three years of work and a reopening in 2015. Fast forward to today, the complex, which comprises the opera house itself, a theatre with two stages, and a children's opera with its own stage, remains a construction site. Opera singer Emily Hindrichs recalls joining in 2015: "At the time I thought: 'Well, it's something they'll sort out quickly.' I was optimistic." Ten years later, Emily has yet to set foot in the building. Performances have been scattered across temporary venues, and frustration runs deep.

Jürgen Marc Volm took over as project manager in 2024, by which point it was already nine years behind schedule. Volm points to the project's immense complexity: 64,000 square meters, 2,000 rooms, 58 different companies, plus 22 planning agencies. "Many adjustments had to be made because proper permits were not granted, and defects occurred in design and construction," Volm explained to DW. Added to this is a rigid tender process that often favors the cheapest bidder, leading to contractors going bankrupt, work halting, new tenders being called, and delays accumulating. "Some companies went insolvent," Volm noted. "Then we had to bring in new companies, and they had to join the project while it was ongoing, so things were constantly changing." Essentially, communication failures were at the root of the problem in Cologne. "We are very good at solving technical problems, but not so good with communication," Volm added.

These massive project delays are not confined to Cologne but are occurring nationwide. "Germany has a huge problem in this regard," states Reiner Holznagel, president of the German Taxpayers' Federation. "Large projects are no longer built quickly, efficiently, and in line with requirements. That positive image of Germany is no longer true." Holznagel points to multiple regulations, from environmental to safety, that slow everything down: "Construction in Germany is very, very expensive. Not because of materials or wages, but because we have many regulations. These entail an enormous amount of money, time, and effort." Matters are further complicated when responsibility and oversight for these regulations fall across different departments of a large administration.

In stark contrast, France offers a compelling model of success. After the spire and much of the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral were destroyed in a 2019 fire, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the cathedral would be rebuilt within five years. And so it was, completed within the promised timeframe and budget. Jean-Louis Georgelin, a retired army general, oversaw the project with military rigor. "He called it 'the battle of the five years,'" recalls Philippe Jost, who took over after Georgelin's death and led the project to completion. Jost attributes the success to a shared sense of common purpose that created the "spirit of Notre Dame." "We worked together, like a big family," he told the heads of all companies involved. Jost also made it clear he was there to help if they encountered problems. "Money spent to solve a problem quickly is money well spent. It's like putting out a fire before it spreads," Jost affirmed. He prepared for the worst, allocating almost a quarter of the reconstruction budget to provisions for price increases, contingencies, and scheduling risks. Instead of finger-pointing, the French prioritized trust and communication and kept the team lean. Jost led an organization that never had more than 35 people, specially created for this purpose. They spent over a year finding the right contractors. "We had to choose the best," Jost stated. "The best are not always the cheapest." The result was a 700-million-euro reconstruction, completed as promised in five years.

It's time for Germany to learn from other countries' best practices, asserts Taxpayers' Federation president Holznagel: "When I see the state of some bridges or roads – not to mention the trains – I realize that the German state has a huge problem, and one understands why people are so discontent." Opera singer Emily Hindrichs is surprised by what she perceives as a lack of flexibility in Germany: "There's always a stubborn, rigid mentality: 'We have a plan, we've written it down, it's supposed to be like this!' And there's no plan B." The good news? The Cologne Opera is scheduled to reopen in autumn 2026. For Emily, it will be deeply emotional: "If I can sing there, it will be like coming home. It's what I've been waiting for."

Ekhbary News Agency