Interview: Ralph Brinkhaus Rants About a Modern Germany
A State Overhaul for Better Resilience and Efficiency: What Ralph Brinkhaus Thinks
"Europe and Germany need to focus on establishing their digital and tech independence"
Hey there! We've got Ralph Brinkhaus, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group's digitalization and state modernization workgroup spokesperson, in the hot seat. Is our state structure crisis-proof enough?
Well, let's just say, we've got a long way to go. Too much red tape, too many hoops to jump through, and a heavy reliance on throwing money and new laws at problems. Innovative solutions? Noodle that one! To make matters worse, admin is siloed, and cooperation between authorities and levels of government needs a serious shot in the arm. And don't even get me started on the lack of digitization and focus on the citizen!
But Ralph, there are more than a hundred proposals for state modernization in your pipeline. Which ones should the coalition prioritize for this term?
I'll keep it simple: Goal and effect orientation in policy and administration! We need to ditch the "more equals more" mindset and focus on measurable results and clear objectives. And for the love of all things holy, treat our public servants like the human beings they are, with more trust, error tolerance, and diversity in training. In short: We need a new corporate and leadership culture.
Lean legislation is what we need, too. How will the governing parties breathe new life into their lawmaking process?
We've agreed to make laws more goal and effect-oriented. We'll digitalize the process and conduct practical tests before passing new laws, involving experts from various sectors to ensure we're hitting the nail on the head. Rainbow art won't cut it; we need to look beyond Europe for solutions and learn from the experiences of nations that have tackled similar issues.
Europe and Germany are living in increasingly uncertain times. Should the continent and the country up their digital and technological game?
Yes, and hard. We need to stand on our own feet in terms of classic infrastructure, cloud, software, and platforms. Relying on a single country or region is a recipe for disaster, as we learned with Russia and energy.
We're talking about a Ministry for Digital and State Modernization here. Title first, woulda been my preference. And while Digital and State Modernization are Wildberger's domain, they're cross-sectional tasks every ministry—especially the Federal Chancellery—needs to embrace. If things go awry, Friedrich Merz better be ready to wield his big stick.
Angela Wefers is asking the questions.
Digging Deeper: Which Changes Matter Most for a Successful State Overhaul?
Boosting Administrative Efficiency and Resilience
- Simplifying Bureaucracy: To reduce unnecessary administrative burdens, a comprehensive approach is needed, including the streamlining of approval and information requirements for both businesses and citizens [2].
- Digitization and User-Centrism: Legislation should prioritize practicality, user experience, and enforceability, ensuring digitization of government services streamlines processes and improves accessibility [2].
- Administrative Modernization: Encouraging competition between municipalities, districts, and federal states could drive cultural change, fostering innovation and efficiency [2].
Enhancing Digital Infrastructure and Competitiveness
- Accelerated Investment in Digitalization: Substantial investments in digital infrastructure align with the goal of restoring global competitiveness [1].
- Pro-Business Environment: Innovation, investment, and economic growth can be fostered through corporate tax cuts and regulatory simplification, reinforced by structural reforms for lasting impact [1].
- Reasoned Rather Than Revolutionary Change: A pragmatic approach enables incremental improvements, leveraging evidence-based changes to build resilience [1].
Strengthening State Flexibility and Adaptability
- Adapting Constitutional Frameworks: Constitutional adjustments can provide greater flexibility in critical situations, as demonstrated by recent amendments to the debt brake [2][4].
- Shared Coalition Commitment: Maintaining internal cohesion amongst the governing coalition is vital for the successful implementation of reforms, including policies that require strong ideological alignment or cooperation with external partners [1][4].
- Broad International Partnerships: Strengthening relationships with countries such as France, Poland, and the UK complements efforts to modernize internal state structures, bolstering international resilience [4].
In a Nutshell
Succeeding in administrative modernization necessitates simplification of bureaucracy, accelerated digital transformation, streamlined regulations, and adaptive constitutional frameworks. The pragmatic, stepwise approach of the current coalition—combining internal modernization with international partnerships—could catalyze remarkable improvements for Germany, provided they remain committed to structural reforms and consistent investment [1][2][4].
- Ralph Brinkhaus, in discussing the prioritization of state modernization proposals, emphasizes the need for goal and effect orientation in policy and administration, advocating for a new corporate and leadership culture that trusts, tolerates errors, and values diversity in training.
- To boost administrative efficiency and resilience, it is crucial to simplify bureaucracy, prioritize practical, user-centric digitization in legislation, and encourage competition among municipalities, districts, and federal states to foster innovation and efficiency.
- As Europe and Germany face increasingly uncertain times, a strong focus on digital and technological advancements is necessary to bolster resilience, ensure independence in digital infrastructure, and create a pro-business environment that encourages investment, innovation, and economic growth.
