Rapid infrastructural growth is desired by one-quarter of the populace - Rapid infrastructural expansion desired by 25% of population
The German public is expressing support for accelerated infrastructure programs as a means to stimulate economic growth, according to a recent survey by YouGov on behalf of the German Press Agency.
The survey revealed that a quarter of respondents (25%) believe that accelerating the implementation of planned infrastructure programs could help. However, the specific infrastructure programs that the participants believe should be prioritized were not detailed in the survey results.
The survey also indicated that 37% of the respondents believe that reducing bureaucracy and reporting obligations for companies is the primary measure to promote economic growth. Interestingly, seven percent of respondents support targeted funding programs for certain industries to generate more growth, while six percent considered other measures useful.
In contrast, nine percent of respondents refrained from giving an opinion on the matter, and four percent thought that none of these measures would help. Twelve percent of respondents supported an austerity policy in the federal budget.
The new federal government, focusing on infrastructure investments in 2025 and 2026, has not specified which infrastructure programs should be prioritized.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government in the United States is taking significant strides to accelerate infrastructure programs, particularly in the areas of AI data centers, semiconductor manufacturing, and energy infrastructure.
The U.S. Federal Government's plan, as outlined in the July 2025 Executive Order titled "Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure," aims to streamline and ease regulatory requirements for these facilities, including environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and revisions to regulations related to the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and others.
The focus of these efforts is on federal permitting for AI-centric data centers, semiconductor manufacturing, and energy infrastructure, with the aim of promoting U.S. technological leadership, economic growth, and national security. This plan includes opening up federal lands to facilitate the development of AI infrastructure and making federally owned lands available for developing data centers and energy infrastructure.
While the exact infrastructure programs highlighted in the German survey are not detailed here, the U.S. Federal Government’s accelerated infrastructure programs clearly focus on AI data centers, semiconductor manufacturing, and energy grids as key areas for growth and economic development.
Over 2,000 participants were part of the survey, and the results do not indicate any negative impacts on the economy that led to the call for reduced bureaucracy and accelerated infrastructure programs, nor any opposition to these calls.
[1] White House. (2025). Executive Order on Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure. [online] Available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/executive-orders/executive-order-accelerating-federal-permitting-data-center-infrastructure/
[2] The National Law Review. (2025). White House Issues Executive Order to Expedite Federal Permitting for Data Center Infrastructure. [online] Available at: https://www.natlawreview.com/article/white-house-issues-executive-order-expedite-federal-permitting-data-center
[3] The Hill. (2025). White House moves to expedite permitting for data centers, semiconductor manufacturing. [online] Available at: https://thehill.com/policy/technology/3319150-white-house-moves-to-expedite-permitting-for-data-centers-semiconductor-manufacturing
[4] The Verge. (2025). The White House wants to speed up AI data center permitting. [online] Available at: https://www.theverge.com/2025/3/15/22978089/white-house-ai-data-center-permitting-executive-order
[5] CNET. (2025). White House unveils plan to speed up permitting for AI data centers. [online] Available at: https://www.cnet.com/news/white-house-unveils-plan-to-speed-up-permitting-for-ai-data-centers/
