Greater transparency is the focus of a new action plan adopted by the Federal Cabinet.
In the future, citizens should be able to participate in bills early on, for example, or be able to see more transparently how taxpayers' money is used. The plan should be part of an Open Government Partnership for open governance. Some 80 countries around the world want to commit to more transparent governance through the partnership.
The Federal Government gave a number of examples for which the action plan should apply. So she wants to adopt a youth strategy later this year, in the development of the youth to be integrated broadly.
In so-called "digitization laboratories", the digitization of government services should also be tested and improved on the basis of feedback from users. Also with the next cycle traffic plan concerned are to be involved. All in all, the federal ministries have made nine concrete commitments.
Broad criticism of the new transparency plan
But there is also broad criticism of the action plan. The transparency organization Lobbycontrol complained that the Federal Government still does not aim for a mandatory registration of lobbyists. "The Federal Government claims to want to make politics more transparent," said CEO Imke Dierßen. "It does not do it justice if it excludes the central area of political influence by lobbyists."
The open government network Germany also criticized that the action plan does not consider the participation of citizens. "True participation, such as co-determination, partial or full decision-making and self-organization, is not yet seriously pursued by the plan," the network's website states.
Chancellor Angela Merkel, however, emphasized the importance of participation, transparency and cooperation for democracy: "Being open to new ideas and answers, listening, explaining and educating, dealing honestly and giving an account - that must be part of our governance and administrative culture.