Political transparency is essential to ensuring that citizens can understand political decisions and take part in democracy. For this reason, its importance is explicitly emphasised in several provisions of the German Basic Law. Transparency helps prevent the abuse of power. Influence exercised by interest groups must be disclosed in the German Lobbying Register. Political party donations of more than €10,000 per year must also be reported in the parties’ annual financial statements.
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Germany has a Freedom of Information Act (Informationsfreiheitsgesetz, IFG). It grants citizens the right to inspect files and decisions of federal authorities. Following an attack on the electricity grid in January 2026, the black-red coalition (CDU/SPD) in the Berlin Senate significantly restricted Berlin’s information freedom rules through an expedited legislative procedure. Authorities may now refuse to provide information by citing the protection of critical infrastructure. This step was sharply criticised by the opposition and the media.
To protect sensitive information, parliamentary committees sometimes also meet in closed sessions. Political decisions may be prepared and compromises negotiated without the public being able to observe the arguments, influence or decision-making processes. Although the key outcomes must subsequently be documented in final reports, critics regard these closed sessions as a limitation on political transparency.
