Setting Long-term Priorities Instead of Short-lived Crisis Management

Politics too often focuses on hectic crisis management or fashions topics fluttering through the media temporarily before dealing with the next topic. Relevant examples include the financial crisis 2008/2009, the refugee crisis 2015, the IS-terror 2015/2016, the climate crisis 2019 as well as the corona crisis 2020/2021.

Short-term crisis management no longer suffices. Instead, a long-term strategic approach is required. This is essential for good, sound policies that can make our world a better place in the long term.

Moreover, focusing on short-term crises pushes important popular issues into the background, even neglecting them.

We need long-term priorities for all major issues, rather than hectic crisis management dealing with fashionable topics.

Proposals:

1. A newly appointed Minister for Happiness systematically examines the ten main concerns of citizens. They are published in his “Annual Happiness Report” with concrete suggestions for rapid and long-term improvements.
2. The newly appointed Minister for Future and Creativity coordinates long-term planning.
3. Clear objectives for a legislative period are drawn up and presented annually in the Minister’s “Future Report” in parliament. It lists the achieved progress and outlines outstanding measures.