Freie Wähler on democracy and the state

The Free Voters want to reorganize public administration: state agencies should handle only what absolutely has to be decided at a higher level. Everything else should be decided locally, under the motto of as little state and as much self-government as possible.

The Free Voters want to change how government offices work. Towns should decide more on their own. The state should only handle a few things. The party says those closest to a problem decide best.

Tasks of the Landesdirektion (the state's regional administrative authority) that are not needed there are to move to counties and independent cities. Each municipality should largely govern itself, while municipalities stay compatible with one another so that action can be taken quickly in a crisis. The party wants to act as the voice of municipalities in the state parliament and involve them more in lawmaking. The state administration should see itself as serving citizens and be guided by their needs.

The Free Voters want to lower the thresholds for citizens' initiatives and referendums and create digital channels for public participation. The state premier and ministers would serve no more than two legislative terms. The party expects better decisions and less disillusionment with politics as a result.

The Free Voters want citizens to have more say. Referendums should be easier to hold. Citizens should also be able to take part online. The state premier and the ministers should serve two terms at most.

The platform calls for lower thresholds for citizens' initiatives and referendums in Saxony. The party wants to use and expand the Onlinezugangsgesetz (the law meant to make government services available online) for direct democratic participation as well. The terms of the state premier and of ministers would be capped at two legislative periods, which the party sees as a remedy for an entrenched political system. The platform treats transparent administration and information as preconditions for citizen involvement.

The Free Voters want to introduce a so-called executive footprint showing which interest groups helped shape a law. The party does not see lobbying as bad in principle but demands transparency for citizens.

The Free Voters want more openness about new laws. Groups and associations often try to influence laws. This is called lobbying. Citizens should be able to see who had an influence.

According to the platform, lobbying has a bad reputation because politicians have not ensured enough openness so far. The party views the representation of interests as a contribution to democratic decision-making, since it can point out the consequences of political choices. For that reason, every legislative process should reveal which organizations, associations, and groups exerted influence. The platform bases this on citizens' right to transparency.