The budget for the Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany, Elisabeth Kaiser (SPD), is set to be increased by ten million euros in 2027. This funding is intended to create a new program to strengthen civic engagement and social cohesion in Eastern Germany. This was decided by the Budget Committee of the Bundestag during its cleanup session on Thursday evening, according to Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (Friday editions).
Kaiser confirmed this. She told newspapers that the Shield for Civil Society in Eastern Germany is a reality. Ten million euros is a strong signal from the German Bundestag. This is because civic engagement requires financial support, not just applause. This will allow them to support those who daily defend the values of cohesion, tolerance, and diversity.
The SPD politician added that democracy is the foundation for prosperity, innovation, and security. With this money, she will introduce a program that supports defenders of democracy in Eastern Germany and counteracts growing right-wing populism. The budget for 2027 is expected to be adopted by the Bundestag at the end of November.
On October 19, Kaiser had met with representatives of Eastern German civil society to discuss the situation. Saxony-Anhalt was particularly well represented there, where the AfD had won the state election by a large margin.
