Partner organizations of the “Alliance Education for a Democratic Society” have sharply criticized the restructuring of the “Demokratie leben” support program, which was planned by Federal Minister of Education, Karin Prien (CDU). In a joint statement, the civil society organizations argue that long-standing expertise will not be recognized without a proper evaluation basis, consequently weakening democracy education.
Lena Kahle, the managing director of the German Society for Democratic Education, stated that “Course changes made without waiting for the results of the ongoing scientific evaluation are not comprehensible”. She added that “the professional expertise of the providers must be included in the development of the new funding guidelines, rather than being hastily dismissed. Education for democracy must be developed transparently and in partnership with civil society”.
Jasmine Gebhard, managing director of the “Makista – Education for Children’s Rights and Democracy” association, asserted that democracy education programs “must be planned over a longer term in order to be sustainable and reliable”. She warned that this short-term strategic shift not only weakens expertise accessible to people with regular structures but also erodes trust in state institutions if programs in kindergartens, schools, and local communities are suddenly withdrawn. According to Gebhard, “This undermines efforts to strengthen social cohesion, promote identification with democracy, and prevent far-right extremism, antisemitism, and Islamism”. She concluded by noting that the distrust expressed in this manner toward those who commit themselves to a strong democracy reflects negatively on democracy as a way of life and its foundational values.
