Less than a third of adolescents and young adults feel they can really influence politics. This is in stark contrast to the political self-image and the will to change of this part of our society.¹ However, not only among young people, but also among older people – in view of what is at stake – we cannot afford resignation. In a time marked by profound transformations and numerous crises, democratic societies and political structures must adapt and evolve to meet the challenges.

Parliaments play a central role in connecting people to the processes of decision-making and legislation. It has long been clear that it takes more than the annual ballot to inspire and engage citizens in tackling the pressing issues of the future. There are many reasons why public engagement is mutually beneficial for parliaments, MPs and society. First and foremost, it supports the essential functions of parliament by providing access to the breadth and depth of information and ideas needed for representation, legislation, public policy formulation and community oversight.²

It needs contemporary formats that meet these demands. Brand New Bundestag is committed to ensuring that parliaments represent all people in our society. To this end, we create places for networking between civil society and politics and support people who bring a breath of fresh air to parliaments with progressive ideas on their way to political office. Together with the initiative Diskutier Mit Mir, we are now launching a new project that will sustainably strengthen the connection between civil society and parliament.

Chat Politics – Your direct Link to Parliament

“Chat Politics” makes it possible to get into direct contact with politicians. Members of parliament are now available via group chat to talk to people from their constituency. With the help of the Diskutier Mit Mir app, we open up protected spaces for digital exchange and bring together diverse perspectives on a topic. The chat-based application provides a comparatively low-threshold access to political discourse. In this way, we want to give a voice to people who traditionally do not participate in public debate and whose perspectives are strongly underrepresented in parliaments. All that is needed for participation is the Diskutier Mit Mir App.

First event with Kassem Taher Saleh on 16 June 15:00

On Thursday, 16 June, the first discussion event with Kassem Taher Saleh (Member of the Bundestag) took place on the topic “Socially just and climate-neutral housing – is that possible? And can I afford it?” took place.

Chat Politics – an initiative of Brand New Bundestag and Discuss With Me.

References:
¹ Vodafone Youth Study 2022: https://www.vodafone-stiftung.de/jugendstudie-2022/
² Global Parliamentary Report 2022: https://www.ipu.org/resources/publications/reports/2022-03/global-parliamentary-report-2022