Boris Palmer to Become Advisor on Bureaucracy Reduction in the Baden-Württemberg State Government

He retains his position as Tübingen mayor. According to an SWR report, Palmer is to hold the role alongside his work as mayor of Tübingen. Shortly after the state election, Palmer had emphasized that he wanted to remain mayor in Tübingen. The new position is therefore voluntary.

Voluntary Role Alongside the Mayor Position

As an independent advisor for state modernization, Palmer will serve on a voluntary basis. Connected to the new role is the task of advising the Green-Black state government on bureaucracy reduction. This gives Palmer an advisory function without being formally integrated into the government. According to the report, Palmer is to support Özdemir with bureaucracy reduction.

Palmer had supported Özdemir during the state election campaign. Palmer, a former member of the Greens, is now non-partisan. Since then, there had been repeated speculation about whether he could take on a position. At the time, there had been rumors that he could become a minister in a state government led by Özdemir.

From Minister Rumor to Advisor Solution

A decision has now been made – though in the form of an advisory activity rather than a ministerial post. That is reported by SWR. According to information from SWR, Boris Palmer is to become the independent advisor for state modernization.

In return, the existing Normenkontrollrat (Regulatory Review Council) is to be dissolved. Its chair is the former Freiburg mayor Dieter Salomon, a member of the Greens. The replacement of the body is part of the package with which the state government intends to reorganize its structures for bureaucracy reduction.

Replacement of the Normenkontrollrat

The personnel decision raises political questions, because Palmer, while once a member of the Greens, had repeatedly attracted attention in recent years through statements on federal politics. The current arrangement – a non-partisan individual advisor directly within the State Ministry – is unusual and differs from classic advisory board structures.

Government circles emphasize that the role is strictly designed for advisory purposes. The state government hopes this will provide impulses for accelerated bureaucracy reduction in Baden-Württemberg. Official confirmation of the personnel decision and the dissolution of the Normenkontrollrat is still formally pending.