Schäuble and Kretschmann complain about the state of federalism

President of the Bundestag, Schäuble speaks in the Interview with the SZ of a "confusion", he wants to give the countries, therefore, "significantly greater leeway" their own taxes. Baden-württemberg Minister President Kretschmann criticized a "creeping development of our Federal Republic to a unitary state" and an "erosion of statehood of the countries". In addition, Schäuble is a Change in the pleading rules in the Federal Council: abstention should in the future be considered as votes not cast be counted. the By Robert rossmann and Nico Fried Berlin Robert rossmann

Robert rossmann is a graduate of the German school of journalism. He studied Economics, communications and political science. At the age of 27, he became editor of the süddeutsche Zeitung. Previously, he had worked at the Bayerischer Rundfunk. In 1997, rossmann was the Deputy news chief of the SZ, in the year 2000, he took over the management of the Bayern part. At the end of 2004, he became parliamentary correspondent in Berlin. In 2007, he went to work as a Newsdesk-head back to Munich. Since 1. In January 2012, he is Deputy head of the Parliamentary office in Berlin.

on Twitter, a E-Mail Nico Fried

Nico Fried send, since 2007, the SZ-Parliamentary office in Berlin. Together with his colleagues he reported on the people and events in the Chancellery, the ministries, the Parliament and other places where policy is made. The native of Ulm since 1996 she lives in the capital, where he worked for four years for the Berliner Zeitung. 2000 peace came to the süddeutsche Zeitung, and reported to the Parliament editorial on German foreign policy, the former PDS, and later on the Green. In 2004, he took over the journalistic observation of the SPD, three years later, the office line. Nico Fried, born in 1966, studied in Munich and Hamburg in political science and a master of arts complete.

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President of the Bundestag Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU), followed by a vote in accordance with the holding rules in the Bundesrat, not for time. In an Interview with the süddeutsche Zeitung he asked, to change the procedure for voting. For Schäuble, it is a necessary consequence of the more colorful become political landscape - in the 16 Federal States 13 different coalitions to govern already. The aggravating "the majority of determination" in the Federal Council, said Schäuble. If the coalition could not communicate with a partner in a state, should contain the country in the Federal Council. Therefore, there is "there are regularly a whopping abstention majority". Schäuble noted that "the Federal Council abstentions when votes are counted", and they would therefore appear to be "in practice as" no "votes". He "consider, therefore, abstain in the future values as votes not cast". The President of the Bundestag said, "that would abruptly change much, the state governments would then have to make decisions".

70 years

The German Constitution is at 8. May 1949, was decided on June 23. May 1949, entered into force. More articles from the SZ-the basic law-special here.

Baden-württemberg's Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Green party) said of the süddeutsche Zeitung, he does not want to ignore the proposal of schäuble "in General". "The more three coalitions, we get in the countries, the more abstentions, we will have - the also weakens the Federal Council," said Kretschmann. However, this Change would be "a very basic maneuvers". He did not know, "how state governments are still thriving work". Because "a duty to all the issues that would put any coalition under considerable Stress". Kretschmann pointed out that "because of the significant intertwining of the responsibilities of the Federal government and the länder" of the countries in the Federal Council would also need to to a lot of behavior, "for the actually not the countries responsible should be where you ultimately have the Knowledge and the institutions lack the facts to properly assess". The show, "for example, in the list of safe countries of Origin in asylum procedures". So far, you would have "in such topics, for the countries not an original jurisdiction, in dispute, by agreement in the government on a abstain - go".

The Federal government may be based currently in the Federal Council was not a majority. The länder, which are exclusively governed by parties in Berlin, President of the coalition of the CDU and the SPD, have in the Federal Council, only 16 of the 69 votes. These are composed of the voices of lower Saxony (6), Saxony (4), Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (3) and the Saarland (3). The voting in the Federal Council required majority of 35 votes.

Schäuble and Kretschmann defendant in the joint Interview, the current state of federalism in Germany. Schäuble said that federalism only functioned well, "if we assign the respective responsibilities better". Currently, there is but "a bit of confusion and a lack of transparency in Federal Financial interdependence". Therefore, could "the Federation and the Länder, some often only to the lowest common denominator". You should consider therefore, "to give the countries a significantly higher game room, your own taxes". The lead "to more competition between countries". And federalism should be "a piece of the competition - so it turns out, who has the better solutions", said Schäuble. The wanted, "but many do not - you would then have approximately for the ailing state of their own schools, no more excuses."

He was "a staunch supporter of the Federal principle," said the President of the Bundestag, "but we have to admit that there is a lamentable development." The example show Rent and housing. Schäuble said: "The rising Rents in many cities are a huge Problem. We decided more than ten years ago that the countries are for social housing - and the Federal zuschießt you money. But many countries do not or only have used the Federal money in part for housing. Now, if the Federal government would point out that he is not responsible for the misery, this would be despite the fact that as a lame excuse understood. This shows that federalism will only be viable in the future, when every citizen is clear who is responsible for what and responsible."

Kretschmann said he believed, "that the Federal States are very powerful, you don't need to hide behind the Central States". But there are many linkages between the competences of the Federation and the länder, which, in the end, "that it pushes the a on the other". With current projects such as the digital Pact everything will "more complicated". Kretschmann said that the Pact "Tablets for the classes - these are the material equipment of the schools, the municipalities are in fact responsible. The countries are for staff in schools responsible. And now the Federal government comes with his money for the Tablets. The understands any more, these are all detours that we take. It needs to have clear competences."

Kretschmann, therefore claimed: "We need to bring back the taste of freedom." The a fail, but "always in this extreme unitary behavior. Everything should be the same. It's just a matter of the progressive development of our Federal Republic to a unitary state and an erosion of statehood of the countries. That is what we must prevent."