“Bureaucracy monster”: Green Party Zoff: Equal Treatment Act on the brink

It was actually supposed to protect against discrimination by authorities, but many critics fear a bureaucratic monster: the planned equal treatment law, one of the last projects of the green-black state government, is on the brink. According to information from SWR, the head of the State Ministry, Florian Stegmann (Greens), will drop the project.

In a letter, which is also available to the dpa, Stegmann tells the Green Party parliamentary group leader Andreas Schwarz: “Both for fundamental considerations and due to the specific design, I cannot and will not bring the current draft for an equal treatment law into further government voting.” The reason is the bureaucracy associated with the law. He calls on the parliamentary groups to refrain from “implementing the coalition agreement on this point” – against the background of the current discussion. The government is confronted with a mood that cannot and should not be ignored, said Stegmann, the country’s commissioner for reducing bureaucracy.

Greens horrified: “Friendly fire” from their own ranks?

The Green party is horrified by Stegmann’s move. There is talk of “friendly fire” and “unprecedented shooting in the back”. Stegmann had thus completely disqualified himself; one could not imagine what further trusting cooperation would look like.

Resistance to the proposed law has grown enormously in the past few weeks. The Regulatory Control Council had already expressed enormous concerns in May. He believes the law is unnecessary because it creates new, expensive bureaucracy. In view of the existing laws and institutions, the Regulatory Control Council, which is responsible for reducing bureaucracy in the country, sees “no need for an equal treatment law”. The local municipal associations and business associations also reject the project.

The CDU parliamentary group welcomed Stegmann’s initiative. Administration, politics and business must work together in a spirit of trust, said parliamentary group leader Manuel Hagel. “At the same time, today more than ever it has to be about effectively reducing bureaucracy and not always creating new bureaucracy.” In our view, the Equal Treatment Act has always been in contradiction to these two important goals.” If the coalition partner wants to waive the Equal Treatment Act, that is absolutely right, said Hagel.

Anti-discrimination law was planned in the coalition agreement

In the coalition agreement, the Greens and CDU announced a state anti-discrimination law so that citizens can more easily defend themselves against discrimination by authorities in the future – at the tax office, in the immigration office or at the police station. The cabinet introduced the law in December last year. According to the draft, those affected would for the first time have a legally anchored claim for damages and compensation for pain and suffering if they are discriminated against by an authority or public body, for example because of their sexual identity or a disability.

The Green Party domestic politician Oliver Hildenbrand is the central driver behind the law. At the time, he spoke about closing a gap in anti-discrimination law. The law is intended to supplement the federal General Equal Treatment Act, which concerns discrimination in the private sector. “I have been fighting for this law since the coalition negotiations. And I’m not giving it up,” he said about Stegmann’s letter. “It’s about a central promise that our Basic Law gives to all people in Germany: namely that no one should be disadvantaged based on origin, gender, religion, language or other characteristics.” He will continue to campaign for this.

Pros and cons alternate

Stegmann’s letter provoked strong reactions in the country. Social associations protested, but business and municipalities instead welcomed the move. The municipalities spoke of an important step in the right direction. “A law that sows distrust in the state and public employees would have sent absolutely the wrong signal in these challenging times,” she said. “The courage to always check political goals – including those from the coalition agreement – ​​in keeping with the times and their feasibility must definitely be a guiding principle for state political action.”

The Baden-Württemberg State Association for People with Physical and Multiple Disabilities protested against this. “Lack of accessibility and derogatory statements are among the most common forms of discrimination against people with disabilities,” says Managing Director Jutta Pagel-Steidl. Only discrimination creates a bureaucratic monster. “The law would be a great opportunity to restore trust in the state, which is currently eroding among many people,” emphasized Martin Gross, regional district manager of the Verdi union.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:241001-930-248750/2