Federal Ombudsman requires an understanding of the mistakes of citizens
© Marc Gysens
Citizens who commit a small, unintentional error in their administration with the government should not immediately get heavy on it. That plea keeps the federal ombudsman in his annual report, which will be presented on Wednesday. The government must show understanding for the mistakes of citizens, according to Ombudsman David Baele, who also argues for more « empathy » of the government.
A man accidentally completes the wrong account number with his application for an energy premium, or a couple who inherited a home, does not notice that the cadastral income is not included in their proposal of simplified tax return. They are just two examples of small errors in administrative procedures with potentially excessive consequences, with which the federal Ombudsman was confronted last year.
Complicated rules or procedures
But according to Ombudsman Baele, citizens do not necessarily have to experience serious consequences. « Citizens must also have the opportunity to correct mistakes, » it says. « If people have not properly complied with complicated rules or procedures, they should not be punished for that immediately. »
In the same breath, the Ombudsman breaks a lance for more empathy from the government. Because citizens sometimes experience a government that does not listen or do not take sufficient account of their situation. « Keep rules and procedures simple, communicate clearly and guided where necessary, so that people find the right way quickly and efficiently, » says Baele.
Read too. Ombudsman never received as many complaints about energy premiums: « The government must do better »
He sees that the increased complexity not only citizens, but also the government places challenges. In many files, the federal government services have to deal with a tangle of rules, so that they sometimes go out of the corner. « It is important that government services take their responsibility if something goes wrong and that they correct mistakes. But the legislation can also be easier, then fewer mistakes would be made, » said Baele.
The annual report shows that the federal Ombudsman received 9,112 files last year. That is about 1,000 files less than in 2023, but that was an absolute record year, due to the many complaints about the energy premiums. With 5,845 files, the number of complaints remains high. The Ombudsman could find a solution in 78 percent of the complaints. Most complaints were about migration files, but also about the payment of unemployment benefits, many files continue to flow in.
More reports from whistleblowers
The Ombudman also continues to receive more reports from whistleblowers. In 2024, 705 new files arrived and mainly due to the increase in reports in the private sector (from 209 to 580). Half of the reports were about social fraud. Many reports arrive anonymously. The problem is that no less than 87 percent of the reports of infringements from the private sector are inadmissible. This is often because the infringement does not fall within one of the fourteen domains of the whistleblower scheme or because it did not take place within a professional context.
