German investment envoy Olaf Scholz's personal envoy, former Commerzbank CEO Martin Blessing, urged Germany to overcome scepticism toward public-private partnerships to modernize crumbling infrastructure. In an FT interview, Blessing said convincing public authorities to collaborate with private investors remains the "bigger challenge" despite ample capital availability. Germany aims to mobilize up to €3.75tn in private capital by 2040 alongside €1.9tn in public spending, after relaxing its constitutional debt brake last year. Blessing, appointed in 2025, has met over 200 international investors ahead of Germany's inaugural investment summit in October, modeled on French President Emmanuel Macron's "Choose France" event.

Investors demand faster PPP and leasing processes, noting private capital can deliver projects more efficiently. Historical resistance persists — ex-SPD chair Franz Müntefering once likened private equity to a "swarm of locusts" — and the 2024 sale of Viessmann to Carrier Global sparked outcry. Blessing highlighted a new law streamlining approvals for strategic projects as progress.

The summit expects 200 investors, including Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon and BlackRock boss Larry Fink, who once employed Blessing as chair for Germany. Blessing seeks "significant" new investment activity within a year as global investors diversify from US dollar overexposure.