Germany is notorious for its bureaucracy. One of the center-left government's central pledges was to slash through the thicket of laws and rules. But many feel that the new legislation due to be agreed by parliament at the end of June falls far short of what is necessary.
Now, the Initiative for a New Social Market Economy (INSM), a market-liberal lobbying organization, has created a pop-up museum designed to turn up the heat on the German government — complete with a marketeer's take on an S&M bondage-style darkroom.
"There is bureaucracy in all countries, but this has become the No. 1 disadvantage for Germany as a business location — ahead of taxes and energy prices," said Thorsten Alsleben, managing director of the INSM, which is financed by the employers' associations of the metal, electrical and automotive industries. He said that was reason enough for 58% of companies to decide against investing in Germany. Alsleben accuses German politics and bureaucracy of killing innovation and entrepreneurial spirit.
German bureaucracy is time-consuming — for companies and for individuals. Many services, such as applying for a driver's license or an identity card, involve in-person appointments, and just getting a slot can be difficult.
According to the Bureaucracy Museum, visits such as these take two hours and 21 minutes on average. And overall, small and medium-sized businesses devote on average 13 hours a week to their paperwork.
The word paperwork is well-chosen here. Museum visitors enter through a display........