Overview

There is indeed cause for concern about the state of German democracy. Even our Federal President repeatedly calls for its defence. But what kind of democracy do we actually have? What can individuals really do - apart from casting their vote every few years in elections to the Bundestag, the state parliaments and local authorities - or not? The ability of voters to defend democracy in a party-based democracy is more than meagre. The form of democracy that had a real historical basis when the Federal Republic was founded has ultimately become obsolete due to its development and the current generation of politicians. The parties have conquered more and more social and economic areas: they determine the entire legislature, the executive and even the judiciary through their lists, and they set the tone in all areas of society. Even the supposedly neutral public media are dominated by the parties, because the Interstate Broadcasting Treaty, the level of broadcasting fees and the management of public broadcasting are co-determined by the parties and staffed by party members. At the same time, it is clear that the competence of the political elite is increasingly deteriorating and the media are becoming more and more corrupt. The qualifications of the political elite, especially within the parties, have reached a negative low point. Ultimately, this leads to increasing contempt and alienation among the population. As bitter as it is, Germany is moving towards an ineptocracy. In this form of government, the most incompetent and unproductive are elected at the expense of the true achievers in society. Politicians focus on political influence, nepotism and opportunistic structures instead of performance or expertise. The government is inefficient, there is a lack of a culture of responsibility and there are systemic problems. This has consequences for the economy and society: a country with unsuitable leaders can face considerable problems. The economy stagnates because the

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