SPD on democracy and the state

The SPD wants to continue the debate on constitutional reform so that young people can vote in state elections from age 16 and children's rights are written into the state constitution. Young people are also to have more of a say in municipalities and in state politics.

Young people should be able to vote for the state parliament from age 16. Children's rights should be in Thuringia's constitution. Young people should also have more say in their town. A youth parliament should advise politicians.

The state's participation strategy ("Landesstrategie Mitbestimmung") is to be carried forward and participation rights in the municipal code strengthened. Youth bodies such as the youth parliament are to advise state politics. A regular report on young people's living conditions is to bring their situation further into state policy. Municipalities and counties are to be enabled, through professional exchange, to develop their own youth participation strategies.

The SPD wants to introduce a privatization brake. Public companies providing essential services could not be sold if a majority of citizens rejects the sale in a referendum. The aim is to put long-term interests ahead of one-time sale proceeds.

The SPD wants a brake on privatization. Privatization means the state sells a company to private owners. Citizens should be able to vote on it. If most people say no, there is no sale. This applies to companies that provide basic services for everyone.

The platform describes the privatization brake as a new tool of democratic control. It covers public companies that provide essential public services. If a majority rejects a sale in a referendum, the sale cannot go ahead. The SPD wants to prevent short-term revenue from being placed above people's lasting interests.

The SPD wants to pass a Thuringian democracy promotion act that secures lasting funding for projects in democracy work and civic education. Civil society groups are to face less red tape and be regularly included in exchanges with the government and state parliament.

The SPD wants a law to promote democracy. Projects for democracy should get money safely and for a long time. Associations and initiatives should have less paperwork. They should talk with the government and parliament regularly. Schools should offer more teaching about democracy.

The state program for democracy, tolerance and openness is to be made permanent and expanded. Existing state programs are to be reviewed for funding and content and extended to topics such as disinformation, conspiracy narratives and right-wing terror; civil society is to take part in the redesign. A long-term funding strategy is to be developed together with the state and researchers. A coordination office is to anchor democracy education in all schools. The recommendations of the NSU inquiry committees and the commission of inquiry on racism are to be implemented further.

The SPD wants young people to be allowed to vote in state elections from age 16. The minimum age to run for mayor or district administrator is also to be lowered so that young people take part in parliamentary democracy early.

The SPD wants to lower the voting age. Young people should vote for the state parliament from age 16. Mayors and district heads should also be allowed to be younger. This lets young people have a say earlier.

The active voting age, meaning the age from which a person may vote, is to drop to 16 for state elections. The passive voting age, meaning the minimum age to stand as a candidate, is to be lowered for elections of mayors and district administrators. The SPD justifies this with involving young people as early as possible.

The SPD wants to disarm right-wing extremists, deny them state funding and keep the domestic intelligence agency adequately equipped. To counter hate online, police and prosecutors are to get more staff so that criminal cases conclude quickly.

The SPD wants to act against right-wing extremists. They should not be allowed to have weapons. They should get no funding from the state. The domestic intelligence agency should have enough staff and means. Police and prosecutors should get more people to fight hate online.

For all state funding programs, the rule is to be that right-wing opponents of democracy receive no public money. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution (domestic intelligence) is to stay adequately staffed and equipped and remain under parliamentary control. The task force on assemblies, which advises municipalities on legal questions about far-right events, is to continue. Local conflict counseling is to be made permanent and expanded. The SPD backs federal legislation against online hate and wants closer cooperation among police, prosecutors and media officials.

The SPD wants to add staff at courts, prosecutors' offices and prisons rather than only replace those who leave. Judges and prosecutors are to be staffed ten percent above the staffing formula, and the service is to become more attractive.

The SPD wants more staff for courts and prosecutors. There should be 10 percent more judges and prosecutors than planned so far. Work in the justice system should be more attractive. For this there should be modern working hours. There should also be more training.

A hiring drive with modern recruitment and selection methods is planned. When police staffing grows, the justice system is to grow accordingly. Modern working time models, lifetime working time accounts, stronger partial retirement and a promotion and development plan are meant to make the service more attractive. Judges' co-determination is to be reviewed. Training is to be expanded, including on handling racially motivated crimes and on social skills. The program cites the changing age structure, digitization and new prosecution tasks as reasons.

The SPD wants to secure justice system locations across the state and modernize them where needed. Technology for video hearings and video conferences is to be installed everywhere, and justice tasks are not to go to private providers.

The SPD wants to keep all justice locations. Courts should stay close to people. There should be technology for video hearings everywhere. Private companies should not take over tasks of the justice system.

Courts, prosecutors' offices, prisons, the justice system's social service and notary offices are to be secured. At these sites, equipment for questioning, conferences and hearings by video is to be installed statewide. Expanding and modernizing existing buildings is to take priority over new construction, subject to a cost-efficiency review. Access to courts is to remain simple, barrier-free and local. The SPD calls justice a special public task and rejects shifting it to the private sector.

The SPD continues to treat mergers of municipalities as a priority in order to strengthen administrations and pool financial resources. Merged municipalities and cooperation between local governments are to receive support.

Municipalities should be able to merge. Then the administration is stronger and has more money for big projects. The SPD wants to support these municipalities. Working together between municipalities should also get easier.

Newly formed municipalities are to get money to pay down old debts, bonuses for merger costs such as aligning IT systems, and help in obtaining grants. For cities and municipalities with large territories, the SPD plans a per-area grant based on the extent of road, green and forest land and the cost of maintaining it. Cooperation between municipalities is to be strengthened with little red tape and lead to more efficiency and better service for citizens. The division into mandatory and voluntary municipal tasks is to be readjusted with a view to costs and importance for residents.

The SPD wants to strengthen children's and youth councils in municipalities and make them the norm at county level as well. Advisory councils of and for people with disabilities are likewise to be set up everywhere.

Children and young people should have a say in their town. The SPD wants to support councils for this, also in the counties. A council is a group that advises and helps decide. People with disabilities should also get such groups everywhere.

Participation of children and young people is already anchored in the municipal code; municipalities are now to receive state money to put it into practice. Councils of people with disabilities are to be created at the municipal level across the state. They are to accompany the development of their municipality with a view to inclusion and accessibility.

The SPD wants to protect volunteering in the state constitution and give municipalities a dedicated volunteering budget. A leave law is to release employees from work for volunteer activities. The platform argues that volunteering is under pressure, especially in rural areas.

Many people in Thuringia volunteer. The SPD wants to support them more. Volunteering should be written into the state constitution. Towns should get money for volunteers. A new law should give people time off work to volunteer.

Municipalities are to have enough money on a lasting basis for their own tasks. The youth allowance and local youth funding are to be expanded, and municipalities are to be required to fund youth associations. The volunteer card is to offer more and be issued more often, and the volunteering foundation is to be strengthened. A central portal with sample forms is meant to cut red tape. The SPD also wants it clarified that nonprofit organizations may act politically for their purpose without losing their tax exemption.