State authorities should be speedboats instead of supertankers

Saxon Interior Minister Armin Schuster (CDU) wants authorities to act efficiently and quickly. "We have to ask ourselves the question: How can we turn central authorities from supertankers into speedboats in terms of their impact on citizens?" he told the German Press Agency (dpa). When reforming the authorities, the employees themselves should have their say: "The point is not to let others decide, but to make suggestions and shape things yourself before it comes to making savings using the lawnmower method."

According to Schuster, all structures need to be questioned. However, no one needs to be afraid of being made redundant, as the reduction in personnel in the Saxon administration could be achieved solely through the large number of people leaving the administration.

Schuster does not want to be a law-and-order sheriff

Schuster, who as Minister of the Interior is also responsible for the municipalities in the Free State, emphasizes the service character of authorities. "I don't just want to be the law-and-order sheriff. That is not my image of an interior minister." Rather, he sees his department as a "citizens' and local authority ministry".

At municipal level, quite a few people in positions of responsibility complain about a lack of freedom. "That's why we want a municipal freedom law. That's why we want administrative reform and a review of tasks. The municipalities urgently need to be relieved. I would like to break down the idea of "them up there" and "us down there"."

Schuster: At municipal level, people feel like they are being controlled

"We have local councillors who have something to say and we shouldn't dictate everything to them," said Schuster. He added that everyone could probably tell you about a situation in which they felt bullied. "There is a wish that the state and the federal government should stay out of it a little more and that Brussels should step back."

Luckily, we now have a federal government that is pushing for speed and implementing measures to reduce bureaucracy together with the Conference of Minister Presidents, emphasized Schuster. "We also have a reform commission in our own house, whose proposals will hopefully show interesting starting points."

Where can the state take a step back and leave tasks to the municipalities?"

"When it comes to issues such as security and migration, the ultimate question is: where do we need a stronger regulatory hand and a strong constitutional state, and where should the state take a step back and leave tasks to the municipalities?" emphasized Schuster.

In light of the current situation, Schuster also commented on the closed meeting of an interdepartmental working group, which discussed the future structure of authorities in Schmochtitz (Bautzen district) this week. "At the closed meeting, various ministries sat together at one table so that it was possible to discuss interdisciplinary issues and responsibilities."

Closing meeting on the reform of authorities in Schmochtitz

Together, interdepartmental proposals were developed that could be discussed in detail with partners outside the state government in a next step in the near future. "For example, how we can strengthen strategic and management tasks in the ministries and at the same time concentrate implementation and funding measures at a much leaner central level."

The cabinet recently issued so-called review mandates to the individual ministries to assess measures for reforming the administration. These include the possible merger of authorities and the bundling of tasks.