Trouble about bureaucracy: “We often rely on 180 percent solutions in Germany”

Der Ärger über Bürokratie ist älter als die Bundesrepublik. Da ist sich Manfred Pentz sicher. Er sitzt in seinem Büro in der Hessischen Staatskanzlei und sucht den Beleg für die These auf seinem Handy. Vor Kurzem hat er ein Sachbuch über das Ende des Kaiserreichs gelesen, da ging es zu seiner Überraschung auch um dieses Thema. Pentz zeigt ein Foto mit dem Textausschnitt: Ein Zeitgenosse beschwert sich vor mehr als hundert Jahren über die „überbordende Bürokratie“.

Fast so alt wie das Problem selbst ist der proklamierte Kampf dagegen. Pentz ist nicht nur Minister für Bundes- und Europaangelegenheiten, er ist auch seit einem Jahr der erste Entbürokratisierungsminister des Landes Hessen. Ihm soll gelingen, woran sich schon so viele vor ihm ohne nachhaltigen Erfolg versucht haben: die oft beklagte Überregulierung deutlich zu reduzieren.

Die Bürokratie, die im Grunde Recht und Ordnung sicherstellen soll und damit Voraussetzung eines demokratischen Rechtsstaates ist, hält der CDU-Politiker Pentz inzwischen für demokratiegefährdend. „Aus Frust darüber, dass wir lange Zeit die Regelungswut nicht in den Griff bekommen haben, wollen viele gar nicht oder extremistische Parteien wählen“, sagt Pentz. „Unser Signal als Staat ist: Wir haben verstanden.“ Nur, wie weit ist er bisher gekommen?

Pentz kann Beispiele für das nennen, was er auf Bundesebene aufgehalten hat. Da ist etwa die Versicherungspflicht für Aufsitzrasenmäher und Gabelstapler. Pentz, von Beruf Versicherungsbetriebswirt, dachte gleich an den Aufwand, der damit verbunden gewesen wäre: Für die Versicherer, die eine neue Plakette für die Fahrzeuge und Policen schaffen müssten; vor allem aber für die Besitzer selbst, die für jedes Gerät Policen abschließen müssten. Pentz und seine Kollegen in der Stabsstelle Entbürokratisierung in der Staatskanzlei hätten sich daraufhin genau angeschaut, wie oft in den vergangenen Jahren keine andere Versicherung griff, wenn es einen Unfall gab.

In such cases there is already a victim compensation fund, according to which Pentz is only known a few corresponding cases. According to the traffic sacrifice statistics, so -called self -driving machines, which this is about, has only occurred in the past five years with eight damage cases with average damage of 3500 euros. In the end, Hessen was able to contribute to the fact that the compulsory insurance and thus a new regulation at the federal level could be stopped by the CDU-led federal states.

Germany has the call to implement the requirements from Brussels particularly conscientiously, to “gild”, as it says in Brussels. “We often rely on 180 percent solutions in Germany,” says Pentz. “Our neighboring countries show us how to implement things more pragmates.” For example, there is the air resistance specification: while in Croatian cities, Pentz describes it in a simplification man only have to measure in traffic -loaded areas. In this way, driving bans are not surprising.

According to Pentz and his people, it is particularly difficult to abolish existing rules. He speaks of the bureaucracy as a huge mountain of stones that has been piled up for decades. “Every stone stands for a rule that was meant well.” Simply say, in the spirit of the Argentine President Javier Miliei, with the chainsaw to trim the state, that does not work from Pentz's point of view. With each individual rule, it must be decided whether it has to stay or can be kept away. “What does not make it easier: Almost every regulation has a lobby,” says the CDU politician.

Even the hotel registration obligation had a lobby. Actually, it should be deleted by another bureaucracy relief law. Not only those who had to fill out registration trends at the reception were annoyed, the hotels also wanted to avoid having to hold the papers. However, the interior ministries interpreted that the security authorities were used to take an instrument of searching if the data no longer existed.

Hesse and other federal states work for the abolition at the level of the prime ministers. In the end there was a compromise: Germans do not have to fill out a registration certificate, foreigners very well. This stone is not completely cleared away. Pentz shrugs his shoulders. At least a little success.

There has been a bureaucracy in Hesse since July last year. If you are annoyed by a regulation, you can contact Pentz and his employees. This has happened since then seven hundred times. It is checked what exaggerated regulation is and what is appropriate. Of course this is a matter of interpretation. In any case, the complainants receive a reason. Again and again, citizens were annoyed by the role of the “bundle authorities”, a Hessian peculiarity.

For example, if you convert your car beyond admission, you not only have to have the TÜV examined, but also submit all documents to that bundle authority. The exam costs money and takes a long time. “We would like to park that,” says Pentz. “If the citizen needs something at the authority, then a gait or contact with the authority should be sufficient in the future,” he promises.

The talks are still ongoing. The intervention of the bundle authority is presumably not deleted, only the citizen no longer has to go the way himself. This is not yet a liberation in terms of bureaucracy.

It is also about relieving the economy. For reasons of liability, employers must check their employees' driving licenses several times a year. Pentz reports on the visit of a craft business in Frankfurt a few months ago, in which his time effort was demonstrated.

Pentz thinks it is wrong that the employee has to show his ID four times a year so that the employer is legally on the safe side. Only this cannot be decided in Hesse alone. In autumn, the country brought in a Federal Council initiative on the subject, but the truth also includes that these initiatives rarely make it into the Bundestag and thus obtain legal strength.

In front of the minister there is a list of 20 projects that are almost or completely done. A lot is small: when clubs violate data protection guidelines for the first time, they no longer face a punishment. The Hessian data protection officer has guaranteed this to the country. It is booked as a quick success for the state government. Or: clubs have recently no longer have to pay fees to the Gema Music Law Geschildren; A framework contract that the country has concluded saves the volunteers the costs and the effort.

The state also wants to relieve itself of bureaucracy. The proof of verification between the authorities should be significantly reduced. So far, it is common for cities, municipalities and circles to be granted from the country all invoices. “It will be enough for us in the future if the documents are held,” says Pentz.

The country only receives a list as an overview. “The overall use of use should be reduced: If a mayor or district administrator tells us that the money was used correctly, we trust the municipality.” This saves the working hours of employees on both sides. Although Hessen could at least choose Hesse, the talks with the responsible finance ministry are still ongoing. This stone is also not cleared away.

At the same time, new boulders are being pushed onto the bureaucracy mountain conjured up by Pentz. This is part of it when laws are decided. The Enturate Minister a modern sisyphos who pushes stone around stone? Pentz wants a cultural change. “We have to trust the citizens and companies more.” There are few black sheep that the law enforcement authorities could take care of. Cultural change in bureaucracy has often been challenged. At least so far it has not occurred.