What price are we willing to pay for morality?

What began in 1998 with great ambition is now an established contribution to the dialogue between business, politics and society on the campus of Reutlingen University. One of the founders returned for the 30th anniversary: Alexander Luft recalled the early days of the event by quoting AI on the question of what the ESB Business Forum is: A “Radar for debates close to talent”. An apt snapshot of an event that has been continually reinventing itself since its inception.

The founding team had a great vision from the very start, with an ambitious wish list of speakers, ranging from leading figures in business to Mikhail Gorbachev, the student team wanted to make an immediate impact. The patron of the launch was the Chancellor at the time Helmut Kohl. Alexander Luft looks back with a twinkle in his eye: “I don’t know whether he ever noticed it himself, but at least we received a message of greeting from him.”

Creative ideas have always been a key feature of the event. Luft can still clearly remember the concern over whether enough guests would turn up for the event. The solution: the student team managed to secure a winery as a sponsor. There was free wine, and the hall was packed.

Today, almost three decades later, what began as a launch event long since become an established platform. On the theme “The Price of Morality – a balancing act between social responsibility and economic strength”, experts from politics, business and society discussed limitations and opportunities of a system that relies equally on solidarity and economic performance.

Dr Bernd Villhauer, a German philosopher, publicist and Senior Advisor Finance at the Global Ethos Institute in Tübingen, provided a framework for moral behaviour in business right at the start of the discussion: “In business ethics, we seek to clarify what the key questions are in decision-making situations. Ethics is not something that limits, restricts or belittles. Ethics should be a driver of innovation, should inspire us with new ideas and should enable development in the relationship between - new products, new business areas, new approaches.”

Stefan Wolf sees an imbalance between the state and the business community. The former CEO of Elring Klinger and president of the ‘Gesamtmetall’ employers’ association criticises a deeply ingrained mistrust of entrepreneurs – both culturally and politically. He pointed to a striking example from popular culture: “Around 70 percent of the murderers in the TV crime series Tatort are entrepreneurs – the entrepreneur is always the villain.” In his view, this image also shapes political decisions and encourages a growing regulatory burden. Wolf therefore called for a change in perspective: greater trust in responsible businesses and citizens.

Frank-Jürgen Weise believes that blanket criticism of bureaucracy falls short of the mark. The former chairman of the board of the Federal Employment Agency and head of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees is now Chairman of the Pensions Commission. He called for a more nuanced view: “What is needed is a balance.” After all, he argued, bureaucracy also safeguards the rule of law and establishes a binding
framework. At the same time, he takes a critical view of the tendency towards overregulation, as complex life realities cannot be reflected in detail by legislation.

Jessica Tatti, regional chairwoman of the BSW and formerly a long-serving member of the German Bundestag, offered a more forceful rebuttal. She said she felt that, over the past decades, a great deal had been done to drive social welfare out of the market economy: “We’re now talking once again about major cuts in social services, about deregulation. That statutory pension insurance is, so to speak, merely a basic provision
and that everyone should make their own pension provisions. Millions of people will say, ‘I can’t afford that - I might be able to afford it if I had a decent wage.’”

Isabel Grupp-Kofler echoed this sentiment. The managing director of Plastro Mayer in Trochtelfingen drew attention to the practical realities of employees’ lives:” It is also fair if, at the end of the month, an actually afford something from the work they have done.” At the same time, she highlighted structural challenges such as the high tax burden. Her approach: greater financial leeway and more trust in people’s personal responsibility. She believes companies have a duty not only to remain competitive but also to secure stable jobs and reliable income in the long term.

Nils Schmid brought an international perspective to the debate. The SPS member of the Bundestag made it clear that issues of morality and responsibility have long been discussed at a global level, for example in the context of supply chains and production conditions. At the same time, he warned against making sweeping judgements about companies and emphasised the varying conditions around the world. “A wage that we consider to be very low may well be attractive to workers in another country.” At the same time, he noted that growing international competition was putting companies under increasing pressure.

Finally, Isabel Grupp-Kofler looked to the future: young talents don’t just want a good job. They want to know what’s in it for them, whether their efforts will pay off, and whether there might even be scope to build something of their own. This promise needs to be actively articulated: “Come to Baden-Württemberg – we are an incubator for the future.” An appeal that brings the Economic Forum full circle, ending exactly where it began:
with the aspiration to view responsibility not as a burden, but as a mandate to shape the future.

About the ESB Economic Forum
The 2026 ESB Economic Forum was moderated by Rainer Maria Jilg, a television presenter and journalist. The public event was organised for the 30th time by students from ESB Business School. The members of this year’s core team were Selin Tatli, Erdem Bulmus, Deborah Burgsmüller, Romy Moser, Mike Wurster, Anna Ruß, Sara Parkmak, Julia Maier, Roman Schempp, Antonia Palmieri and Ela Dogan.