Brand New Parliament
Progressive Voices in Parliament with the Support of Brand New Bundestag
How we bring Innovation to the Bundestag with the BNB Squad and what Movement Politics has to do with it
Brand New Bundestag makes a strong case for a new approach to cooperation between Civil Society and Parliament. Only by working together, and with concentrated action can we find and implement future-proof solutions to the great challenges of our time.
Exactly twelve hours after the polls closed, at 6 AM on September 27, 2021, it was certain: Three of the Brand New Bundestag-supported candidates would be a part of the next Bundestag! With Rasha Nasr, Armand Zorn, and Kassem Taher Saleh, young, inspired people are entering the German Parliament, and are poised to break new ground and push progressive politics.
After our phenomenal success in these Bundestag elections, we are also getting active on the state level, in preparation for 2022.
Our Members of Parliament (MdB)
Rasha Nasr
Dresden-South Constituency 159 | SPD | Position 4
Rasha Nasr convinced the BNB Jury with her commitment, her clear objectives, and her positive, charismatic personality. Her parents immigrated to Eastern Germany (German Democratic Republic) from Syria in 1986. Rasha fights against Institutional Racism and for the visibility of marginalized groups. For her, it’s important to engage in direct discussion with the voters of her Constituency. “It’s better to talk to each other than about each other!” As a member of the Executive Board of the SPD Dresden, she knows that committee work requires stamina and the strength of diversity.
Rasha Nasr ran as a member of the SPD for a seat representing District 159 of Dresden-South, Saxony. She also ran for 4th place on the state list for Saxony, through which she entered Parliament. A member of the Labor & Social Affairs Committee and Deputy Spokesperson for the SPD Parliamentary Group’s Migration and Integration Working Group, she is extremely passionate about the fight against Institutional Discrimination. Rasha is also a Deputy Member of the Committee for Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid, as well as the Committee for Home Affairs
Armand Zorn
Frankfurt am Main Constituency 182 | SPD
Armand Zorn impressed the BNB Jury with his down-to-earth, professional, and charismatic appearance and manner, as well as his personal biography. From his life story, he draws on a wide range of digital and economic policy skills. Armand moved from Cameroon at the age of 12 and struggled to assert himself and fight for his own goals. With this experience, we trust him to be an ambassador for a new, socio-ecological reformation, an economy designed to show social democracy what dynamic progressive politics can look like
Armand won the seat representing Frankfurt am Main as a member of the SPD. In Parliament, Armand is a member of the Finance Committee as well as the Committee for Digitalization. He is also Deputy Spokesperson for the SPD Parliamentary Group’s Finance Working Group
Kassem Taher Saleh
Dresden-South Constituency 159 | Alliance 90/The Green Party | Position 4
Kassem Taher Saleh took responsibility for himself, his family, and his fellow human beings while young and faced the language and bureaucratic barriers with grace. The BNB Jury was impressed most particularly by his early political and party commitment. With a focus on asylum and sustainable development policy, he advocates for a stronger Civil Society and actively positions himself against racism and discrimination. He stands for a more modern and diverse Free State of Saxony and stands against short-sighted thinking, especially against movements such as PEGIDA
Kassem was the top candidate of the Green Youth in Saxony and ran for a seat representing the District of Dresden I, entering the Bundestag with the 4th position of the Saxon Alliance 90/Green Party. Kassem brings his central pillar of sustainable developmental policy to the floor as a Chairman and Member of the Committee for Housing, Construction, Urban Development, and Communities. He is also a Deputy Member of the Committee for Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid, as well as the Committee for Climate Protection & Energy
Lena Werner
Bitburg (Eifel Mosel) Constituency 202 | SPD | Position 10
Lena Werner was already involved as a volunteer here at Brand New Bundestag. Inspired by the many other volunteers and candidates that BNB had already supported, she decided to run for office herself
She is now a member of the Committee of Tourism, and Committee of Economics, as well as a Deputy Member of the Committee for European Union Affairs
Lena’s core issues reside in Social Justice, Equality between all genders, and future-oriented sustainable tourism
Our Members of State Parliament (MdL)
Nelly Waldeck (Schleswig-Holstein)
Kiel East Constituency | Alliance 90/The Green Party | Position 7
Nelly Waldeck (24), works to promote feminist mobility that takes into account the needs of the citizens
As a climate activist, she also advocates for a more conscious focus on transportation, climate, and energy policy. She also wants to integrate such policies with social policy, for a well-rounded political position
Nelly was a top candidate for the Green Youth in Schleswig-Holstein and is currently in the process of negotiating the coalition agreement between the CDU and the Alliance 90/The Green Party
Antje Grothus (North Rhine-Westphalia)
Rhein-Erft Kreis III Constituency | Alliance 90/The Green Party | Position 13
As a Climate Activist, Antje Gothus has long been concerned over the coal phase-out and the associating structural changes to Germany’s Energy Infrastructure. Residing in Hambach Forest, she fought successfully for its preservation when people tried to cut it down. In the coal commission, she represented the concerns of village residents threatened by coal mining waste. Antje convinced the BNB Jury with her indomitable will in the fight for climate protection. She is very well connected and can help build to necessary bridge between the Legislative Assembly and Civil Society
Djenabou Dialla-Hartmann (Lower Saxony)
Garbsen/Wedemark Constituency | Alliance 90/The Green Party | Position 15
Djenabou Diallo-Hartmann knows racism and discrimination from her own experience. This is another reason why the 36-year-old has been fighting for effective measures against racism and discrimination for years. A second topic close to Djenabou’s heart is a modern family policy, especially the comprehensive offer of all-day care to make family and work more compatible in practice. The jury was enthusiastic about Djenabou’s passion and intransigence to fight racism and discrimination in Lower Saxony. The jury was particularly impressed by Djenabou’s intensive and long-standing work in and with civil society on this issue.
Djenabou is contesting the direct mandate for Bündnis90/Die Grünen in the constituency of Garbsen/Wedemark.
Movement Politics
From Lobbyism to constructive Cooperation between Parliament and Civil Society
In the classical conception of our Democracy, the will of the population is aggregated in two ways: First, through parties and elections for members of both State and Federal Parliament, and second, through advocacy by people on the streets, associations, and organizations. Instead of Civil Society approaching Parliament as Lobbyists, Parliament and Civil Society have a common interest and need to work together to craft constructive solutions to our major issues.
Inspiration Green New Deal
The “Green New Deal” in the USA has shown that the concept can be more than just that. Progressive members of Brand New Congress and Justice Democrats worked together to draft a comprehensive bill, working alongside other Civil Society organizations like the Sunrise Movement and presented a bill for the sustainable and necessary transformation of the American Economy, Infrastructure, and Political Institutions. Although Congress ignored the bill, key components of the bill, as well as its central theme were incorporated into other politicians’ legislative work, namely the Biden/Harris administration in 2021.
Bipartisan Progressive Collaboration
Based on the work of the BNB Squad and the BNB-chosen Top 50 Progressives in the Bundestag, a non-partisan group of progressive MPs is currently forming to advance Movement Politics in Germany. Brand New Bundestag acts as a platform and an interface over which Parliament and Civil Society can communicate. This bridge will enable trustful collaboration and a constructive future – and a solution-oriented soul behind every decision.