The German federal government intends to increase funding for its controversial “Democracy Alive” program, according to a report in the September issue of Cicero magazine.
Despite broader government austerity measures, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs has confirmed a planned increase of ten million euros. “Democracy Alive” provides support to federal states, municipalities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The current coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD stipulated that the program would be subject to an independent review regarding its objectives and effectiveness.
Newly appointed State Secretary Ingo Behnel stated that changes to the federal program are “absolutely necessary” noting that some projects appear overly focused on “political folklore”. However, he also emphasized the program’s “fundamental indispensability”. The Ministry intends to utilize the additional ten million euros, available from 2026, to advance digitalization, enhance project efficiency and improve effectiveness monitoring.
Meanwhile, significant constitutional concerns regarding the program, which has already received 200 million euros in federal funding, are emerging. As early as 2022, the Federal Audit Office reportedly identified a potential “lack of federal competence” in an internal review. Constitutional scholar Christian Hillgruber, based in Bonn, questions the justification used by the federal government. According to Hillgruber, simply demonstrating the “supraregional” or nationwide character of a task does not automatically establish federal authority.
Volker Boehme-Neßler, a legal scholar from Oldenburg, is even more critical. He describes the payments from the federal government to municipalities as a “golden bridle” arguing that they create dependencies that are contrary to the Basic Law. From Boehme-Neßler’s perspective, the practice associated with “Democracy Alive” is therefore unconstitutional.
