Former SPD finance minister and co‑founder of the Initiative for a Functional State, Peer Steinbrück, has called on the federal government to overhaul what he calls the country’s “machine room”. Speaking to the Saturday edition of the ”Rheinische Post”, he warned that Germany confronts “immense challenges”-the collapse of Europe’s security architecture, a strained relationship with the United States, and economic pressure from China. He added that, for 15 years, Germany has overlooked essential reforms.
Steinbrück’s initiative had presented proposals for modernising the state, and parts of those ideas have already been adopted by the federal government and the Länder. Both he and Nathanael Liminski, head of the NRW State Chancellery, anticipate resistance in the implementation phase.
Liminski told the “Rheinische Post” that state‑modernisation is only popular when it remains abstract. “It becomes complicated when it turns concrete. Naturally, the usual professional guilds will try to roll back concessions from the negotiations” he said. Nonetheless, he maintains that close monitoring by a steering group of five Länder and the federal government can ensure that the set milestones are reached by the end of 2027.
Speaking of obstacles, Steinbrück pointed out that the real brakes do not come from lobby groups but from politicians and civil‑service personnel. “The people who add friction are found more in politics and administration. Despite the efforts of Federal Minister Wildberger, several federal ministries were still holding us back”.