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Offentlig digitalisering i Tyskland og Danmark 1997-2022

Resumé

The Public Online. Public Digitalization in Germany and Denmark 1997-2022
Denmark and Germany share many similarities but differ considerably on the level of public service digitalization. This article examines explanations for this difference using traditional qualitative and quantitative methods from the digital humanities field, including topic modeling. These methods are applied to documents from different governments and ministries in Germany and Denmark, with particular focus on digitalization strategies. Additionally, the article analyzes parliamentary debates from both countries to understand the political factors driving digitalization. The article concludes that there are two central explanations for the differences in digital public service between Denmark and Germany. The first is Denmark’s opt-out digitalization legislation, which made digital service the default solution for citizens, a strategy not implemented in Germany. The second explanation is their distinct approaches to coordination and digitalization policy. In Denmark, there was coherent coordination between municipalities, regions, and the state, with a strong Ministry of Finance acting as a central driver of digitalization. In contrast, the digitalization of public services in Germany was more decentralized, without a similar core driver.