A prominent initiative advocating for a stronger and more effective state has presented a comprehensive report outlining a wide-ranging reform agenda. The “Initiative for a Capable State” spearheaded by Julia Jäkel, Thomas de Maizière, Peer Steinbrück and Andreas Voßkuhle, formally submitted their findings to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday.
The report, comprising 35 recommendations, aims to establish essential conditions for a well-functioning government. According to the authors, a significant portion of these recommendations are already reflected in the coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD parties.
The initiative emphasizes that state reform should be approached as a shared responsibility, or “Gemeinschaftsaufgabe”. The authors argue that the creation of a single Minister for Digital Affairs and State Modernization alone will not suffice to enact the necessary changes. They urge the Federal Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor to aggressively champion the reforms, while advocating for close collaboration between the federal government and individual states. The recently established “joint modernization agenda” endorsed by Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and state premiers, is deemed a positive foundation for further progress.
A key focus of the report revolves around addressing the perceived adverse effects of social media on democratic processes. The initiative proposes the removal of immunity for social media platforms regarding the content they disseminate, alongside stricter enforcement of existing youth protection regulations. Furthermore, the report recommends the implementation of model municipalities and regions to pilot and accelerate administrative reforms.
