Debureaucratization through virtual building authorities

In the DHB interview, Brandenburg's new Minister of Infrastructure, Detlef Tabbert (BSW), talks about the growing gap between urban and rural areas, the role of cities in the second row, and how skilled trades can benefit from infrastructure measures.

This article is part of the special topic Bureaucratic madness in the craft industry

DHB: You were mayor of Templin for 14 years. Your term there was supposed to run until 2026. Did you have to be persuaded for a long time to take on the new position at the head of the Ministry of Infrastructure in Potsdam?
Detlef Tabbert: I was mayor of Templin with passion and am convinced that I pushed important local issues forward. With the municipal housing company as the largest housing provider in Templin, the issue of affordable housing for broad sections of the population has been a focus of my work in the past. The topics of construction and housing are therefore not foreign to me. After the state elections in Brandenburg, I was part of the five-person exploratory team from the BSW for the coalition negotiations with the SPD. I represented the BSW in the working group for infrastructure, agriculture and the environment. In this respect, my name was mentioned relatively early on as a potential minister. When a new task is presented to you at the state level, you have to make a decision. I am accepting this challenge and look forward to the work.

DHB: As Minister of Infrastructure, you have a broad area of ​​responsibility—including urban development, housing, and transport. How do you intend to involve small and medium-sized businesses and skilled trades in the implementation of your plans?
Detlef Tabbert: Small and medium-sized businesses and skilled trades are suffering from the current uncertainty in the industry and the difficult general conditions. Construction requires lead time and predictability for all market players. I therefore hope that, together with all stakeholders at the federal and state levels, we will succeed in creating reliable and tailored framework and market conditions for increased construction activity in all sectors. My department is committed to ensuring that the federal and state governments continue to provide sufficient financial resources in the areas of transport, urban development, and housing development as a basis for investment in construction projects. Social housing is therefore an important driver for the industry. However, we can only be successful with strong partners at our side, and this is particularly true in social housing. Affordable and needs-based housing can only be created with the housing industry, as developers and landlords.

The same applies to urban development funding. In the 2024 program year alone, around €84 million in urban development funding flowed to 70 municipalities across the state. These funds will be available until 2030 in the three programs "Living Centers," "Social Cohesion," and "Growth and Sustainable Renewal." This helps ensure planning security for companies. When it comes to road construction, the coalition adheres to the principle of preservation over new construction. In my opinion, Brandenburg has an adequate road network in most parts of the state, but it also needs to be maintained. The construction of cycle paths is about creating connections and closing gaps. This means there would be plenty of work for small and medium-sized businesses and skilled trades.

DHB: You've already announced that you'll advocate for more space for social housing in municipalities. Could this lead to a boom in orders for the construction industry?
Detlef Tabbert: Especially in social housing, it must be possible to build at prices that ultimately enable affordable rents. In the current situation, this poses major challenges for the entire housing industry. As long as this continues, a noticeable upturn in the construction industry will remain difficult. Funding can provide support here, but it cannot cure everything.

DHB: Which projects are your priority in the area of ​​transport infrastructure?
Detlef Tabbert: The coalition wants to advance plans for the reactivation of disused railway lines where there are clear transport and economic advantages. One transport policy focus is on the extensive connection of Lusatia to the metropolitan areas of Leipzig and Berlin, as well as across the border to Poland. Another goal is the double-track expansion and electrification of the Eastern Railway (RB 26). The federal government is called upon to take action here. The states of Berlin and Brandenburg have long emphasized the importance of the Eastern Railway.

DHB: As a long-time mayor outside the prosperous suburbs, you certainly have experience with the growing gap between urban and rural areas. How do you intend to stop this trend?
Detlef Tabbert: In my opinion, this depends on the local infrastructure in the broadest sense and the connection of second-tier towns to public transport. The quality of life in rural regions is often high. Therefore, it remains desirable to tap into this potential with local public transport. Second-tier towns are anchors in sparsely populated areas and have better development opportunities if they have good connections to major cities, primarily Berlin, but in the case of regional importance also Leipzig, Magdeburg, and across the border to Wroclaw or Szczecin. However, there are also communities in the greater Berlin area whose potential lies elsewhere. These communities, for example, have attractive agricultural land that should be preserved, or for other reasons they have hardly any developable land left. But here, too, a good infrastructure with schools, utilities, and attractive city centers is of course important. It's about creating equivalent living conditions in our towns and communities, not the same, because that cannot exist. However, if people enjoy living where they live and have satisfactory, affordable public transport connections to larger cities, the trend you describe can be slowed down.

DHB: The skilled trades sector is waiting for tangible steps toward reducing bureaucracy. What are your plans in this area?
Detlef Tabbert: We need to reduce bureaucracy and digitize, and address building regulations, for example, within this context. The digitization of the building permit process should make a significant contribution to this. The virtual building authority is already up and running in two Brandenburg districts, and the others will follow suit. With so many parties involved in a building permit process, it can be a significant time saver if everything is handled digitally and documents are accessible to everyone involved. But construction requires a certain amount of lead time.

DHB: Do you have a personal connection to trades? Or to put it another way, when was the last time you had a tradesman in your home?
Detlef Tabbert: My family has had master blacksmiths for eight generations. Unfortunately, I lacked the talent for this wonderful profession. The last time I had a craftsman in the house was just a few weeks ago, when a plumber was needed.

To person: Detlef Tabbert was born on June 17, 1960, in Templin. After graduating from high school, he completed vocational training as an agricultural specialist. He later earned degrees in public administration and finance. From 2010 to 2024, he served as mayor of Templin.

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