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Organizations are calling for stricter rules against lobbying
Photo: Soeren Stache / dpa
Five weeks before the general election, more than 50 civil society organizations have called for stricter lobbying rules.
As stated in a joint communication, party donations are to be limited and members of the federal government should disclose their lobby contacts.
New laws are also to be provided with a »lobby footprint«, ministries would have to document all possible influences when drafting laws.
"Politicians will not live up to their responsibility if they do not develop a strong backbone vis-à-vis the economically powerful," says the appeal that was drawn up on the initiative of the LobbyControl organization.
The previous regulations were not sufficient for this, it says in the letter.
Politicians must "understand transparency, independence and greater participation of previously disadvantaged interests as a useful and valuable contribution, without which they cannot cope with their tasks," it says.
"Only then will it prevail in the competition with corporations, win back disappointed citizens and effectively strengthen democracy."
Among other things, consumer advice center
Organizations from the fields of climate, environmental and nature conservation, development cooperation, consumer protection, animal welfare, sea rescue, democracy promotion, digital rights, as well as children's charities and social associations took part in the initiative.
Among others, the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv), Campact, Oxfam, Mehr Demokratie, the Social Association Germany, the German Children's Fund and the German Nature Protection Ring signed.
The signatories complain, among other things, that large donations "created unequal opportunities for influencing political decisions."
"Party donations and sponsoring must therefore be limited and the disclosure thresholds for donations lowered drastically," it says.
"Anonymous campaign funding must be stopped."
In July, the non-attached member of the Bundestag, Marco Bülow, criticized the “shape of our parliamentary system” in SPIEGEL.
“Lobbyism, especially profit lobbyism, has gotten out of hand.
Power is concentrated in a few actors.
We are experiencing an enormous loss of power by the parliamentary groups vis-à-vis the government, ”said Bülow.
"Actually only one or a parliamentary group leader would be needed, the rest of the seats in the Bundestag could be filled with civil servants."
hba / AFP
