Former President of the Federal Constitutional Court, Andreas Voßkuhle, is advocating for a more urgent battle against bureaucracy and a profound state reform. Voßkuhle told the weekly magazine “Die Zeit”, stating that “from my point of view, we have reached a tipping point. If we do not change, we will fail.” He criticized the country, describing it as having become risk-averse, perfectionistic, self-righteous, and hostile to technology, thereby losing its sense of speed.
In the context of this need for change, Voßkuhle pointed to a “mindset problem” within the judiciary. Specifically, he observed that the administrative courts, which oversee governmental decisions, are often shaped by individuals who are highly adept at academic detail yet hold the desire to ‘save the world.’ Similarly, he noted that many people in the civil courts are caught up in the nuanced dogmatics of civil law, which can obscure whether a company is facing an existential threat due to the length of a process.
Voßkuhle had previously presented comprehensive proposals for state modernization in March 2025, collaborating with publisher Julia Jäkel and former federal ministers Peer Steinbrück and Thomas de Maizière. He praised the federal government’s efforts in this area, noting, “There is a renewed sense of momentum to reform the state like never before since the founding of the Federal Republic. Countless measures have been implemented.” However, he acknowledged, “A lot of this is very technical and doesn’t really interest the public.” He expressed hope that the government would complement these steps by developing a “big reform narrative.”
Jäkel, the former head of the publisher Gruner + Jahr and Voßkuhle’s collaborator, echoed the sentiment, stressing the need for greater joint efforts from federal and state governments. She questioned, “Do we sometimes ask: is everyone truly clear on how urgent this structural renewal is?” Jäkel concluded that “our state has become entangled, but no one can untangle it alone-that can only work if done together.”
