According to the Hessian Economics Minister Kaweh Mansoori (SPD), entrenched ways of thinking must be abandoned and a new culture of error made possible on the way to more effective administration. “The most underestimated key to faster approvals is a change in mindset,” he said in an interview with the German Press Agency in Wiesbaden. He encourages his colleagues in his ministry to make decisions, even if they may turn out to be mistakes. “I’ll stand for that if there is any doubt,” said Mansoori.
“We have an administrative culture in Germany where no one dares to make mistakes,” explained the minister. “But if we want things to go faster, we have to be more lenient with people who make a mistake and then own up to that mistake.” Things can only change if you accept wrong decisions. “If you don’t make a mistake and want everything to be 150 percent accurate, you will block proceedings until the day comes,” Mansoori said.
Another important point for faster approval procedures is digitalization. For a new wind turbine, for example, there would be an entire room full of folders that all had to be processed. “This is a timing issue,” Mansoori argued. With digital help, many examination steps could be automated so that the administration can concentrate on what a human is really needed for. “That’s why, for me, faster planning and approval procedures are closely linked to administrative modernization.”
The minister advocated doing more to promote social acceptance of renewable energies. “I don’t want to make politics from above, but I want the energy transition to pay off for the people. They should benefit from it.” To this end, municipalities should, among other things, be able to benefit more from the economic returns from renewable energies, Mansoori suggested. “Then people don’t just see an abstract, climate policy success. They notice that their city or village is better positioned and can, for example, invest more money in daycare centers or social offers.”