Tag: participation
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What is Germany’s greatest asset?
“Football is a simple game. Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and, in the end, the Germans always win,” said Gary Lineker after England lost the 1990 World Cup semi-final on penalties against Germany. Times are changing. Germany no longer always wins at major football tournaments. And England now has a German coach. Today, everyone is talking about renewal.…
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Berlin Wiki: Who Votes – and Who Stays Home?
How Many People Participate in Elections? After every election in Germany, one figure receives particular attention: voter turnout, the share of eligible voters who actually cast their ballots. In German public debate, close attention is paid to how voter turnout develops over time. For example, in the 2025 federal election, 82.5 percent of eligible voters across Germany cast their ballots. This…
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Berlin Wiki: The Overlooked Election — BVV and Local Democratic Participation
How Does the BVV Election Work? On September 20, Berlin goes to the polls. On that day, the election to the House of Representatives (Abgeordnetenhaus) will take place, along with the elections to the District Council Assemblies (Bezirksverordnetenversammlungen, BVV). Berlin is divided into twelve districts, each of which elects its own District Council Assembly. This is the elected representative body of…
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Berlin Wiki: Parties, Direct Mandates and the Five-Percent Threshold
What Is a Political Party? A political party is an association of citizens regulated by the German Federal Party Law. Political parties aim to influence political decision-making at federal or state level over a longer period of time and may represent voters in state parliaments or in the Bundestag. First of all, a party needs members. In addition, the party itself…
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Good Intentions Are Not Democratic Enough
“What you do for me, but without me, you do against me” — the exact origin of this quote is unclear. Nevertheless, it captures something that frequently happens in Germany when it comes to the political participation of historically excluded groups. Policies are supposedly made for migrants, yet not with them. Gender equality is debated while no women are involved in…
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“Das Volk” in 2026: Time to Redefine the People
“Do you behave as the person you truly want to be?” I ask myself this question in moments when I clearly fall short. Yes, it is hard to live up to one’s ideal self—I’m probably not the only one who feels this way. The same applies for societies. Over the past ten years, I have learned a lot about German society.…
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