Federal Family Minister Karin Prien (CDU) is calling for greater effectiveness regarding the measures funded under the “Living Democracy” program. Speaking to the “Welt am Sonntag” Prien affirmed her strong commitment to fostering democracy and preventing extremism. She noted that while these initiatives are necessary given the increasing strength of political fringes and the rise of antisemitism and Islamism, a closer examination of which measures are genuinely effective must be conducted. Prien explicitly disagreed with the blanket assumption that anything strengthening civil society automatically strengthens democracy.
According to the minister, the real issue lies in the loss of willingness to engage in dialogue and compromise. Prien asserted that many people are increasingly confined to their digital echo chambers. Therefore, she stressed the necessity of re-strengthening physical spaces where democracy can be practiced practically-citing schools, clubs, youth associations, and sports organizations as examples.
