"Who speaks for me? - Representation crisis and democracy before the Bundestag elections"

We are therefore delighted to welcome Clara Ludwig, from Brand New Bundestag, Pola Lehmann, research associate at the Social Science Research Centre Berlin, and Juliane Baruck, from ‘Es geht Los’, to the Pop-Up Room of the Amerika Gedenkbibliothek on Tuesday, 11 February at 18:00.

In the current political landscape, many people do not feel adequately represented by the established parties. In the run-up to the Bundestag elections, we would like to shed light on the question of which social groups are underrepresented in the Bundestag and what this says about our democracy. How does the socio-economic background of MPs affect their political decisions?
The event will also explore the question of what people who do not feel represented by a major party can do and what strategies can help them make their own voting decisions. We will also discuss alternative approaches to political representation and cross-party co-operation that think beyond traditional party structures. How practicable are alternative representation models such as citizens‘ councils in the German political system? How can citizens be better involved in decision-making processes without jeopardising the efficiency of parliament? What can we as citizens do to promote political diversity and representation? What mechanisms could help to make political communication more transparent and accessible to all?

We look forward to your participation. Please register online or by email by 10 February 2025.