Saxon Transparency Commissioner Juliane Hundert has called for the Transparency Act to be extended to cities and municipalities. "This is the only way to give citizens the necessary insight into all levels of political decision-making," said Hundert at the presentation of her first activity report under the Transparency Act.
Municipal decisions in particular, such as the construction of a bridge or the distribution of budget funds, are of great relevance to the people. This has also been shown by experience from other federal states, where cities and municipalities are already obliged to provide information in accordance with the respective information and transparency laws.
Transparency law to facilitate access to information
The transparency law, which has been in force in Saxony since 2023, is intended to make it easier for citizens to access information from the state government and administration. Until now, they have had to submit applications to do so. From 2026, access to documents such as government resolutions, draft laws, expert opinions, studies and reports is also to be provided via a platform on which the authorities post information of their own accord.
Municipalities and districts are not affected by the Transparency Act. However, they have the option of applying it voluntarily. To do so, they must issue a statute. According to the transparency officer, no municipality has done this yet. The three independent cities of Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz would fall short of the possibilities offered by the Saxon Transparency Act with their own freedom of information statutes.
High fees used as a deterrent
Hundert also criticized the way in which the fees charged are handled. In individual cases, the costs were set so high that the impression was created that the body responsible for transparency wanted to deter the applicant with the help of the high costs. "Such an approach is inadmissible," said Hundert. However, it is not a systematic problem.
If the cost of the application exceeds 600 euros, citizens and companies must pay a fee. A maximum of 2,500 euros can be charged.
Citizens have accepted the law well
On the whole, however, Hundert drew a positive balance after almost two years of practice with the Saxon Transparency Act: "Citizens have accepted the new law well and the authorities subject to transparency requirements have also adapted well to the law."
Among other things, the hundreds of inquiries received by Saxon authorities via the "Ask the State" online portal indicate that the opportunities have been used extensively. She described it as a "huge gain for our democracy" that Saxony, like almost all other federal states and the federal government, now guarantees the right to freedom of information.
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