Most of the time they do have the vision, but the problem is that every proposed reform is heavily objected to by the unions, pensioners, students and so on. For example, flat tax rate reform proposal under previous government, then the pension reform last year. It's always the same: large population groups (pensioners, students, state-payroll workers) do not want to give up those privileges ...
unions, pensioners, students, etc... got their own leaders which are defrauding the people they should lead.
Thats the difference between Germany and the rest of the Europe. Maybe in industry the fact that workers get to share the board with investors help, I don't know. But I know that Germans manage to not shit in their plate time and again.