The Green Party’s parliamentary group has filed a motion demanding that the announced restructuring of the “Demokratie leben” (Democracy Lives) program be suspended until the scientific evaluation currently underway is completed. According to a report by “Stern” the party criticized the plan, stating that it is “unreasonable” to overhaul the program extensively before the evaluation phase is finished. They argue that such premature action risks “weakening functioning and effective structures” especially when other areas might need support but lack proven effectiveness. The Greens therefore insist that such major decisions regarding public spending should not proceed in a “blind effort”.
The modification of the program-which was introduced in 2014 by the then-SPD Minister for Families, Manuela Schwesig-is characterized by Green Deputy Parliamentary Group Leader Misbah Khan as bearing the “mark of ideological prioritization rather than professionally grounded policy”. She stressed that there remains a lack of a professionally solid foundation for the planned changes to a program that has provided critical democratic work in local communities for years. The Greens emphasized that this program is especially vital for providing one of the few stable funding structures available for democratic education and advisory services, particularly in rural and structurally disadvantaged regions.
Khan accused the federal government of displaying “inappropriate general suspicion toward civil society”. Instead of ensuring reliability and planning security for civil society initiatives, the existing functional structures are being jeopardized by what the Greens termed “politically motivated hasty decisions”. Furthermore, the parliamentary representative argued that the program should not become an instrument for ideological profiling. She concluded by demanding that those responsible for public funds must base their decisions on scientific evidence, actual proven effectiveness, and the real challenges faced locally, rather than on partisan political motives.
