Germany Launches Platform For Citizens To Report Bureaucracy Issues

The German federal government invites citizens to report frustrating bureaucratic obstacles and propose solutions through a new online project called “Deutschland, was nervt, was geht?” The initiative connects to the existing “EinfachMachen” portal, which has already received over 20,000 reports since January. Complaints largely center on simplifying tax returns, ID cards, and driver’s licenses.

Businesses also report excessive reporting and documentation requirements. Starting in the second half of the year, citizens can apply to participate in a hackathon as teams. The goal is to develop working prototypes—like apps or new software—for government administration by the end of 2024.

The Digital Ministry, led by Karsten Wildberger, and the Federal Agency for Leap Innovation are supporting the project. Agency director Zarah Bruhns plans to model citizen participation after Taiwan’s approach, where a similar hackathon boosted trust in government. While Wildberger committed to integrating winning solutions into federal administration next year, the long-term impact on Germany’s bureaucracy remains to be seen.