At the Minister‑President Conference, Saxon Minister‑President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) accused both the German Bundestag and the EU of falling short in efforts to reduce bureaucracy. He said that the states have been steadfastly pursuing state modernization and deregulation, but he worries that neither the federal parliament nor European institutions fully grasp that only deep regulatory cuts can spur economic dynamism. According to Kretschmer, a persistent misconception remains in Germany and across Europe that the state must dictate the actions of citizens and businesses.
The Thursday conference will address bureaucracy reduction, a topic already earmarked in a December joint agenda between the federal government and the Länder that contains more than 200 measures. The first set of actions is slated for implementation by the end of June.
Rhineland‑Palatinate Minister‑President Alexander Schweitzer (SPD) told the RND that this package is the most comprehensive effort to reorganise federal‑state relations since the large federalism reform of the 2000s. He expressed confidence that the measures will be implemented as planned, noting that “in such a short time we can make an enormous leap forward”.
