Federal archive warns: transparency in the government threatens to disappear!

Federal archive warns: transparency in the government threatens to disappear!

In the middle of the current political discussions about change of government and transparency, the Federal Archives are focused on. Michael Hollmann, the President of the Federal Archives, once again expressed his concern about the impending deletion of important documents and electronic communication by the outgoing federal government. The urgent appeal aims to ensure a complete processing of this phase for historians. Pfalz-Express reports that Hollmann emphasizes the possible effects of a lack of documentation on the right to trust in the rule of law.

The incomplete documentation of agreements and decisions that are communicated via digital channels is a central problem. Today, in which communication means such as SMS, chat groups and social media are often used, this does not always happen in an official framework. Hollmann demands that politics and administration acquire modern tools for standard -friendly documentation in order to make government action transparent and understandable.

Risk of loss of information in the event of change of government

It is not just a theoretical concern: when changing government, important information from chats and video calls actually disappear that require documentation. These considerations are underpinned by concrete examples. On February 19, 2024, a Video Council of the Air Force on Webex took place, in which high -ranking officers, including the inspector of the Air Force, discussed whether Taurus marching aircraft should be delivered to Ukraine. In this session, the importance of the Kertsch bridge for Russian replenishment was also discussed, and the need for ten to twenty air bodies was discussed in order to meet the current requirements. The Süddeutsche Zeitung emphasizes that up to 100 Taurus could be sent to Ukraine, which led to a later comment by Chancellor Olaf Scholz that Germany did not lead to direct War party should be.

These developments underline the urgency of Hollmann's demands for better documentation. Without this, valuable knowledge of security policy decisions and their communicative course could be lost, which would have a negative impact on the transparency of state action.

digitization in the Federal Archives

The Federal Archives, however, are also on the way to face the challenges of digitization. By June 2023, 266,000 files and almost 54 million pictures have already been made available online. The continuous digitization of archive goods is a central part of the work, with historical films from the First World War and the Weimar Republic in a digital reading room. Despite the progress, there are legal regulations that restrict the online presentation of younger personal documents. Federal Archives explains that more than 530 kilometers are only digitized in the archive can.

The need for careful documentation of electronic communication is becoming increasingly clear. While the Federal Archives are trying to capture the past, the challenge is to ensure that the current and future decision -making processes are also transparent and understandable. Michael Hollmann's appeal should be seen as an important wake -up call for the future design of communication and documentation in politics.