As the 2009 elections in Germany are drawing to a close, and the
established five parties continue to change and adopt their statements
about probable coalitions on a daily basis, many people, especially
from abroad, are wondering what could be the outcome of all of this in
the weeks and months after the 27th of September – what kind of
political changes will occur, in which directions Germany will go, and
so on. From a German perspective, the answer is surprisingly simple:
regardless of who will be voted into power the weekend after next,
nothing much will change.
| | Dirk Hillbrecht, Chairman of the German Pirate Party (Piratenpartei)
At the time of the interview, Dirk Hillbrecht was the chairmen of the German Pirate Party, a party that specifically addressing topics like data privacy and surveillance.
In this interview, Hillbrecht explains possible benefits of new
technologies for the political process, as well as the digital divide
within both the population at large and the political system and its
actors specifically.
Dr. John Hulsman, Alfred von Oppenheim Scholar in Residence at the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin.
Dr. John Hulsman is an Alfred von Oppenheim Scholar in Residence at the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin. In his interview, Hulsman deconstructs democracy, party politics, and the political systems of Germany and the United States. For Hulsman, democracy is about changing people’s opinions – something top-ranking politicians in Germany don’t have the heart to do, as he had to find out in his uncounted off-the-record conversations with them.
Albrecht Müller, founder of the website “Nachdenkseiten“
Albrecht Müller is a long-time member of SPD, the German social-democratic party, and former chief of the planning departments in the Brandt and Schmidt administrations. He’s the founder of the website “Nachdenkseiten“.
Müller provides a thorough assessment of the current state of politics in Germany out of his experience, especially of the media's role in the political process. He deliberates on the functioning of political parties in Germany and on the factors that triggered the current financial crisis.
Stephen Aldridge, Director of the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit Stephen Aldridge, Acting Director of the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit of the Cabinet Office, illustrates how the unit contributes to the continuous improvement of policies in the UK. The strategy unit provides strategic policy advice to the prime minister and his office. Hermann Scheer, Member of the German Bundestag, Right Livelihood Award laureate
Facing problems like the declining membership of parties and less and less turnout, Hermann Scheer calls for decisive and broad reforms of democracy. Referring to Roosevelt's New Deal, he states that development of the political system is possible and necessary in order to avoid further alienation between the public and their representatives. His remedy for the German case includes the use of referenda on the federal level and the mandatory approval of new ministers by the parliament.
According to Louis Klein, we live in a fairly developed democracy. Is this the end of history or is it a challenge to proceed and improve from here on? Developed democracies do not have their own improvement on the agenda. He recommends starting with the little things. Doing so, we would continuously improve what we have accomplished so as to achieve outcomes we cannot think of at the moment.
Cem Özdemir, Member of the European Parliament Cem Özdemir reflects on how stable democracies can afford experimenting with different voting concepts, thresholds for entering the parliament, direct democracy, selection processes in the party etc. The framework of democracy is discussed as enabling change, election is considered a suitable test for the system and one of the major challenges which is pointed at is an inclusive definition of citizenship. Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, Member of the European Parliament Alexander Graf Lambsdorff identifies several topics for improving political systems.
For Germany he proposes to strengthen the Parliament vis-à-vis the executive branch, change the recruitment of politicians, increase the staff of MPs, and establish an institutionalised self-reflection.
For the European system he advocates for more transparency in the Council’s decision-making process, for taking subsidiarity more serious, and to change the voting system for the Parliament. | Raul Espejo, CEO Syncho Ltd., Lincoln, UK
Various national policy processes affect local communities. The question is how can local stakeholders be included in these processes? Based on systems thinking, Raul Espejo offers principles and recommended practices for such participation.
Henrik Bang, Professor of International Relations, University of Copenhagen
Henrik Bang explores the question what it takes to connect democracy and good governance from local to global level. Democracy on the input side is about consensual decision-making, while good governance on the output side is about political action. In many cases, both are mistakenly mixed. He elaborates his argument by using the EU as an example. The EU has a democratic deficit on the input side, but earned capacities for good governance on the output side.
Tobias Denskus, Doctoral Researcher, University of Sussex
From a development studies perspective, the author takes a different look on institutional arrangements. According to him, debates on Political Excellence should consider innovative interpretations from developing countries more strongly. Moreover, he takes in a critical perspective on management-driven international aid. For him, the central question is about power relationships between citizens and organisations.
Götz W. Werner, Christoph Werner and André Presse
The authors propose a re-evaluation of our tax system. By means of a state-provided basic income, people would have their fair share of rising productivity and could take up employment they cherish.
Samuel Kobia, General Secretary, World Council of Churches
From a Christian perspective, the quest for political excellence is described as a moral imperative, as the concept is attached to the ethical foundations of politics: peace, justice and prosperity for the people. Participation of civil society in politics and of politicians in society is highlighted as crucial.
Ramón Ruiz Ruiz, Professor of Philosophy of Law, Universidad de Jaén (Spain)
A search for real representation through an effective empowerment of the political basis: the citizens. The article suggests to restructure the institutional framework and to encourage the education of citizens in order to allow for a widespread and responsible participation.
Patrick Thaddeus Jackson, Associate Professor of International Relations, American University
Jackson points out that social science have to abstain from value judgements. For him, political excellence is not free from it; he calls social science to step aside so as to widen the margin for politics. According to Jackson, this is the place where decisions have to be taken in society.
Gregory Feldman, Assistant Professor of International Migration, University of British Columbia
Democracy's mighty ideals are contrasted with the gross economical imbalance in the world. Policymakers are identified as key players, able to reproduce or change this societal order. The article tries to deconstruct the ideological work preventing policymakers from acting upon the discrepancies between the anaesthetized image of the system and its real effects. Feldman underscores the importance of a dialogue between social pundits and policymakers.
Kim Peter Erichsen, Founder of Global Voter Foundation
The article creates a vision apart as the unequal distribution of votes is proposed. In the best possible world, socially desired behaviour would be incentivised. Kim Erichsen sketches a society which would not only be very different from our contemporary one but even more accurate in terms of participation and problem solving.
Stefan Kotte, Economist, Institute of Transport Economics, Muenster University
The study assesses the optimal degree of delegation in democratic societies from an institution economics perspective providing a theoretical analysis of the market for information in direct democracy.
Franck Biancheri, President of the Newropeans
One step towards Political Excellence on European level would be an approach to improve the EU system within its framework. Franck Biancheri proposes the establishment of a trans-European political party with one party programme in all member states to run for European elections.
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