Post photo: Transparency | © Shutterstock
If we want to save our democracies, then we must ensure complete transparency, not only in political decisions but also in public funds, without any ifs or buts.
Because every democracy stands by the support of the sovereign, ergo all of us! And every democracy falls when it loses the support of the citizens. Democracy only lives from and with sufficient citizen participation. And so that citizens can not only get involved, but also want to do so more, we need complete transparency in all public action.
As a recent example of how not to do it, the events surrounding the RBB and the NDR can be cited. As a local example, what is happening around the BUGA bridge.
That's why - and it would be so easy! — we must ensure that all public budgets are listed on the websites of the relevant administrations, in a way that is easy for the public to understand.
This also includes all the costs of each individual public workplace, project and object, and this is very strikingly listed.
In addition to the name and the function of a municipal employee up to the Federal President, the price tag is mandatory, what this job costs us per year. This could also be attached very strikingly to every office right under the traditional name tag.
And I had already written it, also on every bridge, every school or other building, but divided into acquisition costs and maintenance costs and provided with a QR code, where anyone who wants can get further information down to the smallest detail.
No matter which services are awarded by the public sector, the costs and the recipient of the money must also be listed as strikingly as possible on site.
This makes all citizens aware of what things are actually worth and where our tax billions go every year; but also why we citizens pay taxes and duties at all!
And this transparency will undoubtedly also lead to discussions as to whether one or the other bridge or one or the other post or service is needed at all.
And this is exactly how we create those responsible citizens in the medium to long term that every democracy lives from and has always dreamed of.
There is no question that this will also ensure that this leads to less mismanagement and in some cases even less corruption in our society, which in turn is of great benefit to all concerned.
Of course, this will initially irritate some well-established or less flexible fellow citizens, but we have to accept this shortcoming in order to be able to make our democracies fit for the future.
