New data from the NRW State Chancellery reveals that the state government frequently fails to reply to inquiries posed by the State Parliament (Landtag) in a timely manner. According to a report by WDR, the black-green governing coalition answered only one in approximately three inquiries within the legally mandated timeframe during the current legislative session. The figures, reported as of May 8, 2026, show that out of a total of 7,386 inquiries, only 2,680 were submitted correctly on time, equating to a compliance rate of 36.2 percent.
In response, the Ministry of the Interior cited increasing difficulty, stating that the “nature and scope of the questions are becoming increasingly complex and require intensive research”. They explained that responding to minor questions alone forces the daily involvement of several hundred staff members, thereby greatly diverting resources necessary for other core duties. The Ministry of the Interior, they added, is required to handle the largest proportion of inquiries across all departmental portfolios.
Furthermore, the government has noted a significant burden stemming from “series” inquiries-a recurring issue where nearly identical questions are submitted repeatedly, sometimes up to 50 times, often with nothing changing except a local designation. By the end of April alone, five such series account for 341 inquiries, many of which require the involvement of local authorities or subordinate municipalities to address.
Opposition parties reacted with palpable frustration. Marcel Hafke, the parliamentary leader for the FDP, dismissed the government’s arguments, stating that the deadlines for replies between the state government and the parliament “are not an unbinding recommendation”. Ina Blumenthal, an SPD official, offered harsh criticism, calling the statistics “not good evidence for the Minister-President and his black-green government”. She stressed that the accurate functioning of parliament depends entirely upon the state government responding in a constitutional and timely manner. Markus Wagner of the AfD, who reportedly submits nearly a quarter of all inquiries, emphasized that the delays are “disrespectful to the parliament and ultimately to the citizens it represents”. Opposition members continue to utilize these small inquiries as a critical parliamentary right to oversee the government.