If the invention of quotas were an Olympic discipline, Germany would have what it takes to win the gold medal. The women's quota, which was introduced almost ten years ago, and with which the gender equality avant-garde hoped to finally end male dominance in the executive ranks of the German economy, is regarded as a centrepiece of the quota spectrum in this country. Progress has undoubtedly been made since then. However, scoffers sometimes draw comparisons with the disability quota established decades ago, which suggests that the driving force behind change is not performance but the equalisation of disadvantage. The realisation that the proportion of women in management positions is consistently higher elsewhere in Europe and especially beyond these borders, where little attention is paid to the quota, is also rather sobering.

For some time now, Germany has also been developing considerable fervour with all kinds of quotas in the fight against climate change. Whether renewable energy quotas, recycling quotas, fuel quotas or the „e-car quota“, they all combine ambitious targets with sometimes moderate popularity. Above all, the increasing proportion of e-cars, which was intended to curb the environmental impact of combustion engines, is turning into a pipe dream. The only thing that seems to be holding it back is the business success of the German car industry, which cannot force customers to follow the quota regime with their purchasing decisions.

The German and European flood of quotas has always contrasted strikingly with American abstinence. But less regulation is not always more progress. Abandoning the recently popular „import quota“ would be recommended, while the abolition of the core capital ratio, which has been unpopular in banking circles since the financial crisis, seems like a questionable gain. Why, in times of highly volatile stock markets and growing global scepticism about the stability of the US capital market in particular, freeing the Wall Street giants from the shackles of caution should be the order of the day is not readily apparent even to seasoned champions of the interests of the financial community. They are not wrong to point out that the rising national debt alone, coupled with the weakness of the dollar and growing capital outflows, represents a considerably aggravated risk environment for US banks in particular. Reliance on self-regulation has not proved successful. It is therefore advisable to leave safety its fair share of attention.