Bundestag Vice President Omid Nouripour, representing the Green Party, addressed criticism regarding the Parliament’s slow handling of legislative drafts. Speaking in the “Machtmenschen” podcast on “Focus,” Nouripour explained that the function of the Bundestag is to weigh various opinions against one another and debate the correct path forward, adding, “The fact that this cannot happen with a flick of a switch is completely fine.”
The Green Party politician also rejected the suggestion that the Bundestag water down legislative initiatives through its parliamentary procedure. He asserted that amending drafts is a “claim of power held by the Bundestag” as the legislative body. According to Nouripour, this demonstrates the Parliament’s self-assured awareness, stating, “We are confident enough to say: We will not simply be served and consume whatever the federal government presents to us.”
Regarding the actual cause of delays, he points to a “mountain of bureaucracy.” He noted that too many confusing regulations exist at the federal level, as well as at the EU, state, and municipal levels. To implement important decisions more quickly in the future, Nouripour suggests convening a convention, where various groups could come together and agree upon a unified package of reforms.
