Democracy

We all live together in a democracy. Although our democratic system is not confronted with the types of anti-democratic aspirations we clearly oppose, it is facing considerable challenges that need to be thought about and discussed.

I am fighting for a society that is both democratic and open, where civic engagement isn’t just possible, but also desired. The debates surrounding major projects have shown that we need new ways and opportunities for citizens exert more influence on parliamentary decisions and to become more active in politics. Therefore, I fight for federal referendums because direct democracy does not stop at the local or state levels, but continues to apply nationwide and Europe-wide.

For me, one thing is clear: only informed citizens can reach independent decisions (or: decisions based on self-determination). This is why I fight for a freedom of information that has actually earned its name. A more comprehensive law on transparency needs to be enacted to ensure that state documents and information are available to the public. With open data as its foundation, this approach to open and transparent governance can not only revive our democratic spirit, but also promote innovation, political participation and economic success.

However, transparency and participation need to take place both on and off the Internet. It’s all about providing opportunities to participate in project working groups and scheduling public forums both online and offline. In order for success to be achieved, there needs to be an active civil society which speaks to all groups of our society and gets everyone involved, not just those affected by a particular policy. Additionally, I advocate for citizens to become a member of a political party. Playing an important role in our democracy, these parties, especially we Greens, provide many different ways for society to participate and become involved.

Ensuring we get modern electoral law is especially important for me. This entails the lowering of the voting age to 16 as well as the expansion to people from the European Union and all people living here. A modern electoral law does not mean voting machines or online elections. I believe that our elections should take place with the classic use of a pen and paper.

Strong, collective democratic cooperation is attached to a serious commitment to democracy. In particular, right-wing extremism will be confronted by an active civil society that opposes far-right groups, prevents rallies and makes it clear their actions will not be tolerated.

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