Green demand massive federalism reform - avoid loss of millions!

Green demand massive federalism reform - avoid loss of millions!

Deutschland - On April 4, 2025, The small newspaper that the Greens led by Werner Kogler bring into conversation. Kogler plans to get in touch with the government factions ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS in order to develop a common procedure for coordinating measures.

The Greens do not strive for new state convent, but focus on short and medium -term measures to deal with the challenges in different areas. In particular, they demand a merger of responsibility for expenditure and revenue to avoid losses in billions. In addition, they want more transparency in the financial data of the states and municipalities, including quarterly reports, to raise transparency to a similar level as in the federal administration.

federalism reform as a long -term goal

The demands of the Greens come at a time when new considerations for the division of tasks between the federal and state governments appear necessary. Financial spokesman Jakob Schwarz emphasizes that this is the right time to rethink the existing structures. There are high expectations of the Greens in particular in the areas of health, care and education.

The need for a reform with regard to the federal-state relationships has not recently been discussed. A look back into history shows that on June 30, 2006 the German Bundestag approved the "federal reform i" with the consent of the grand coalition, which came into force on September 1, 2006, as The Federal Center for Political Education explained in detail.

The reforms of German federalism

These reforms contributed to the creation of clear framework conditions between the federal levels, with a close cooperation between the federal and state governments. A central goal was to reduce federal laws that require the Federal Council's consent to around 30 percent. The reforms meant that countries can issue different regulations in certain areas.

• federalism reform I (2006): Reduction of federal laws subject to approval to 30%
• Federalism reform II (2009): Introduction of a debt brake for the federal and state governments
• renewed debate about financial distribution and federal-state financial relationships

Despite the progress, there are significant challenges. In particular, the distribution of skills between the federal levels is a recurring topic. The reforms were partially criticized, especially with regard to the effects on wealthier federal states and the erosion of the principle of solidarity. Wikipedia describes the challenges that result from the gradual shift of skills to the federal states and emphasizes the importance of adapting the responsibilities in German cooperative federalism.

In the present, the discourse on federalism reforms remains relevant, not only in terms of the financial stability of the federal states, but also with regard to the current social challenges that require quick action.