“Living democracy!”: Reichinnek rages towards cuts in NGO funding – “Makes the AfD’s wildest dreams come true” | EUROtoday

Left parliamentary group chief Heidi Reichinnek has criticized Federal Family Minister Karin Prien’s (CDU) bulletins about limiting tasks from the federal program “Living Democracy!” sharply criticized. Prien “leaves those who are at the forefront of democracy, human rights and our basic law out in the cold,” Reichinnek informed the AFP information company on Saturday.

She accused the minister of claiming that tasks that serve to advertise democracy must be “massively restricted by cutting funds”.

Prien introduced in an interview with “Welt am Sonntag” that she needed to launch the “Live Democracy!” program. reorganize and minimize funding from quite a few beforehand funded tasks. Instead of non-governmental organizations which might be particularly devoted to selling democracy, different establishments must be more and more concerned sooner or later: similar to colleges and vocational colleges, voluntary fireplace departments, sports activities golf equipment, teams similar to rural youth, and libraries.

In addition to quite a few native initiatives, the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, the Association for the Environment and Nature Conservation Germany (BUND), the HateAid affiliation, the media firm “Correctiv”, but in addition the Central Council of Jews could be affected by the cuts.

“Together with right-wing extremist forces, the Union repeatedly attacks civil society,” stated the left-wing parliamentary group chief, criticizing Prien’s plans. She referred to 551 questions submitted final 12 months by the Union parliamentary group within the Bundestag that critically addressed state funding for non-governmental organizations.

“Projects that are committed to democracy are already being shot down in more and more municipalities and are no longer being funded,” Reiche warned. Now Prien desires to proceed this on the federal stage.

Prien had introduced that she needed to “live democracy!” reorganize with the intention to obtain higher effectivity in using the funding quantity, which at the moment quantities to 191 million euros per 12 months. “Translated, this means nothing other than that it is already making the AfD’s wildest dreams come true through its anticipatory obedience,” stated Reichinnek.

Reichinnek criticizes “right-wing smear campaigns”

“Driven by right-wing smear campaigns by Nius and Co., the work of organizations such as the Amadeo Antonio Foundation, HateAid and Correctiv, which, among other things, have exposed the AfD’s racist deportation fantasies, is to be massively restricted by cutting funding,” she accused the CDU politician.

“We have to strengthen civil society and establish reliable financing,” demanded Reichinnek. What is important for that is the long-planned Democracy Promotion Act, which, nevertheless, is encountering appreciable resistance from the CDU and CSU.