Der gekaufte Staat

They write laws, sit in ministries, paid by corporations. In the past, this was called corruption.

Rarely does a non-fiction book have visible consequences. This alone makes the research a journalistic success. The authors' investigations prompted the Federal Court of Auditors to send its auditors to all federal ministries for the first time, and the federal government to issue new administrative regulations. More than a hundred representatives of German large corporations have established their own desks in federal ministries. They are paid by the companies. They collaborate on legislation and are always politically engaged. The independence of state decisions is at risk – and with it, democracy itself. From the aircraft noise law to the legalization of hedge funds, the sale of public projects to construction companies, the Energy Industry Act, health reform, and billion-euro investment projects like the truck toll – large corporations have consistently placed paid employees in ministries. In Hesse, even employees paid by the airport corporation Fraport monitor compliance with the night flight ban. The EU Commission also relies on industry insiders: In the case of the EU Chemicals Regulation REACH, a BASF employee was first in the EU Commission and then in the Federal Ministry of Economics to influence the chemical regulation in favor of the industry. Those who really want to look behind the scenes of this shadow government often encounter a wall of silence. The research efforts of Adamek and Otto are remarkable. They expose the channels of influence that businesses have on state decisions and denounce violations of democratic rules. Updated paperback edition of the No. 1 business book bestseller.