ERFURT THROUGH THE LENS OF TRANSPARENCY: EXPERIENCES THAT INSPIRE
The right to know goes beyond access to documents. It is the right to understand how decisions are made, how public resources are managed, and how institutions earn and uphold the trust of citizens.
In Erfurt, a city nestled in the green heart of the German state of Thuringia, where rich history intertwines with modern democratic values, a delegation from the Agency for the Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information, led by Director Petar Gajdov, explored German experiences and best practices in building open, transparent, and accountable institutions.
Transparency in German Institutional Practice
The meeting with Mr. Tino Melzer, the Thuringian Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, and his colleagues provided valuable first-hand insights into the functioning of Germany’s system for safeguarding the right of access to information.
Particular attention was devoted to the implementation of Thuringia’s Freedom of Information Act, the role and responsibilities of the independent supervisory authority, the handling of citizens’ complaints, and striking a balance between the right of access to information and the protection of personal data.
One of the key topics was the shift from transparency upon request to proactive transparency – an approach in which public institutions do not simply wait for citizens to request information but take the initiative to publish documents and data of public interest.
At the Thuringian State Parliament (Thüringer Landtag), the delegation gained insights into the organisation of parliamentary work, political representation, legislative procedures, and the mechanisms that ensure openness and accountability in decision-making processes.
The visit offered an opportunity to see how the principles of democratic governance are translated into concrete institutional procedures and how access to information contributes to stronger public oversight of elected representatives.
When Civil Society Becomes a Driving Force for Transparency
A particularly inspiring meeting was held with Dr. Peter Häusler, a representative of Mehr Demokratie Thüringen, a civil society organisation actively advocating greater citizen participation, direct democracy, and openness in public institutions.
A key focus of the discussion was Transparenzranking (Transparency Ranking) – an initiative by Mehr Demokratie and the Open Knowledge Foundation that assesses levels of transparency across Germany’s federal states through a comparative analysis of their legal frameworks.
This approach offers a valuable perspective: transparency is measured not merely by the existence of legislation, but also by the scope of publicly accessible information, institutional disclosure obligations, the simplicity of procedures, costs for citizens, and the effectiveness of oversight mechanisms.
The exchange of experiences also highlighted the importance of active citizenship – because information gains its true value when citizens can understand it, use it, and leverage it to influence public policies.
European Experiences as a Catalyst for Domestic Progress
The study visit to Erfurt provided an opportunity to explore ways of further strengthening the system of free access to public information in the Republic of North Macedonia – from enhancing proactive transparency and digital access to information to building institutional capacities and fostering closer cooperation with civil society.
The experiences shared in Thuringia reaffirmed that building open institutions is an ongoing process in which legislative frameworks, practical implementation, and public awareness must evolve together.
The study visit was organised within the framework of the Twinning Light Project supporting free access to public information, in partnership with the German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation (IRZ), with financial support from the European Union through the Delegation of the European Union to North Macedonia.
