The German federal government has launched a portal where citizens can report cases of excessive or unnecessary bureaucracy. The “EinfachMachen-Portal” has been accessible since Friday morning at www.einfach-machen.gov.de. “Through a user-friendly form, obstacles can be described and concrete improvement suggestions submitted with just seven clicks,” the Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs explained.
On the website, users first encounter a text field to outline their concerns and propose improvements. They can then select the relevant category, such as energy, health, mobility, taxes, or migration. Additional questions address the connection to specific administrative services or authorities.
According to the Digital Ministry, submissions will initially be classified “semi-automatically and manually” by topic, urgency, and relevance. Later, the process is expected to be fully automated with the help of artificial intelligence. “We are creating a central point of contact for the bureaucracy concerns of citizens and businesses in our country,” said Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger (CDU).
“This establishes a direct link to businesses and citizens,” added Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Katherina Reiche (CDU). “Every feedback helps us streamline regulations in a targeted way and create space for investment, innovation, and entrepreneurial initiative.”
The Digital Ministry also noted that the portal will eventually be hosted by the Federal Statistical Office. “Integrated with other components, the portal can serve as a long-term, centrally managed, empirical hub for bureaucratic reports from both the economy and the public.”
The digital association Bitkom welcomed the initiative as a potential “starting point for rapid and comprehensive bureaucratic reduction.” Feedback from citizens could form the basis for political action. “However, many bureaucratic responsibilities lie with the states, cities, and municipalities,” cautioned Bitkom CEO Bernhard Rohleder.
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