Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) sees the opening of Infineon’s new chip factory in Dresden as a sign of a new beginning for all of Germany. Merz joined the event via video link and also explained some of the decisions made by the coalition committee. “I can say with complete conviction that we are truly making progress.” He said there is a strong and unwavering commitment to tackle the necessary structural reforms now “to prepare our country, our economy, and our industry for the future.” The opening of the Dresden Smart Power Fab, the world’s largest factory for power semiconductors, is exemplary of this future, Merz said. “They have shown how things can move forward in our country. “This will now become the norm; this will now be the standard.” Merz also referred to the Infrastructure Act passed by the Bundestag. The construction of highways, roads, rail connections, waterways, airports, and train stations is now considered a matter of overriding public interest. “That means things will really move much faster in the future.” Chip manufacturer Infineon plans to double its production capacity in Dresden with the new plant. The Smart Power Fab cost around five billion euros. Just under one billion of that comes from public funding. The production facility will create about 1,000 new jobs. Construction took three years. Copyright 2026, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reservedAccording to Merz, a faster pace is becoming the norm in Germany