Representatives from all federal ministries met on Monday morning at the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The meeting was initiated by Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) and Federal Minister of Education Karin Prien (CDU) to discuss the future of democracy promotion efforts by the black-red coalition.
The primary driver for the assembly was the dispute over Prien’s proposed restructuring of the “Democracy Live” program. This change raised significant concerns, as it could jeopardize many currently funded projects. According to reports, the gathering resulted in the formation of an interministerial working group, tasked with finding solutions to bridge the disagreement.
While Prien’s plans were the subject of considerable debate among various stakeholders, they also faced criticism from the Social Democratic coalition partner. Elisabeth Kaiser (SPD), the government’s federal representative for Eastern Germany, who also attended the meeting, strongly defended the initiatives at risk. Speaking to the press, Kaiser stated, “People who are committed to our democracy locally need our backing and reliable prospects, otherwise, they will give up”. She concluded by confirming her full support for the program’s associated groups.