Peer Reviewer 1:
The Notebook touches only on the surface of the corruption situation in the country. Missing is discussion on the following: a) the lack of prosecutions of German businessmen from companies other than Siemens who have been associated with corruption; b) the penetration of organized crime into the state apparatus -- a danger that is being highlighted in the media; c) the Russian-German gas pipeline and the former chancellors role in the deal; d) the on-going corruption in weapons deals; e) the "Sachsen sumpf or the Saxonian swamp of corruption in the Dresden-based government.
In general, this is by far a very superficial look at the corruption situation in Germany. It has cherry-picked a few stories that offer no real overview of how corruption is generally becoming more visible in the press and the political discussions.
Peer Reviewer 2:
1. Is the Reporters Notebook accurate? Yes, although the deficiencies in the practical application of the Freedom of Information Act have a lot to do with the fact that it is a new law and the administration struggles with the tension between privacy protection and freedom of information. The report implies that administration officials hold back information deliberately and systematically -- which I feel is not the case.
2. Is the Reporter's Notebook fair? Yes, with the caveat mentioned above.
3. The main example where Germanys military-industrial complex and the political scene interact is the annual Munich Security Conference which is heavily sponsored by EADS and other major defense contractors in conjunction with the Defense Ministry. The Munich Security Conference might provide an even more telling example than the 2006 festival of the air force command in Cologne.
The two industrial sectors that seem to be most closely linked to politics are the building sector (mainly municipal level) and the energy sector (state and national level). Greenpeace Germany has reported extensively on former politicians turned energy lobbyists. The example of former Chancellor Schröder, who now works for Gazprom, is the most high-profile case in point.
Peer Reviewer 3:
The Reporters Notebook gives a concise and good overview of the current debate on corruption in Germany. Some remarks, however: - It could be mentioned that Germany still has not ratified the U.N. Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). The main reason for this is Art. 108e of the Criminal Code (Strafgesetzbuch, StGB), which is restricted to buying and selling votes and therefore does not comply with Art.15(a) of UNCAC. There seems to be a lack of political will to change this. - Additionally to the Siemens scandal, one could mention the Volkswagen case as well (Hartz). - Concerning whistle-blowing, I completely share the authors view that Germany has still a lot to do in this area. One may mention, however, the implementation of the Business Keeper Monitoring System® by the Landeskriminalamt Niedersachsen (show reform champions!). - I miss something like a concluding paragraph: at the end, the reader has the impression on an unfinished text.
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