- The German Group Advocating for Dramatic Decrease in Administrative Redtape
The small political group Germany Alliance advocates for drastic cuts in red tape in Saxony. As stated by party head Steffen Große to the German Press Agency, "Red tape ought to be penalized, it harms the state, the citizen should be compensated for unnecessary exertion." The party aims to limit the implementation of new regulations, extending them if necessary following a straightforward effectiveness check. For each new regulation, two old ones ought to be scrapped.
Große argued that it's standard procedure for the administration to account for implementation effort when implementing new regulations. "This makes transparent the financial impact of introducing new administrative costs and what funds municipalities can claim from the finance minister for personnel and material costs. The citizen, however, is denied this chance and we aim to grant it to them."
Große provided instances of mandatory reductions in bureaucracy. For instance, to receive a deceased relative's death certificate, one must show proof of their birth. "You must present a birth certificate and pay for it. That's utterly insane. This service should be free or entirely tax-deductible. Why isn't the deceased's ID card presentation sufficient?", queried Große, the top candidate of his party for the state election on September 1.
The same sentiment applies to entering a new second marriage, Große added. Alongside divorce documents, proof of birth is required, entailing a cost for the required certificate. "Completely absurd and a prime example of red tape," Große criticized. "How can one fulfill the desire to remarry if one wasn't born? Why isn't the registrar's acceptance of the personal ID card sufficient?"
Regarding potential future collaborations with other parties, Große did not dismiss the possibility of alliance with the Values Union at a later date. However, this is not yet under discussion for the upcoming state elections, but rather for the federal election next year. The Germany Alliance did not participate in the European elections on June 9, gaining just 0.6% in Saxony. Große describes the Germany Alliance, established at the end of 2022, as both liberal and conservative.
Große expressed his hope to host a party for the citizens of Saxony, stating, "Once we successfully reduce unnecessary red tape, I'd love to celebrate this achievement with a massive citizen's party." Furthermore, he suggested, "After achieving our goals of reducing bureaucracy, we could even consider making some administrative procedures at public offices completely 'party-free,' allowing for more efficiency and convenience."
