The Bavarian Youth Ring (BJR) is calling on the future state government to invest more in youth work and democracy education. This is necessary in view of the rise in right-wing extremism across Europe, said BJR President Philipp Seitz on Thursday in Munich. The large turnout in the Bavaria-wide U18 state elections made it clear that young people accepted age-appropriate and participatory offers of political education.
Around 61,000 children and young people cast their votes in more than 600 polling stations. The BJR coordinated the ballot for the eighth time since 2009. According to the BJR, the CSU got 26.1 percent in the vote, followed by the AfD with 14.9 percent, SPD with 13.7 percent, Alliance 90/The Greens with 13.2 percent and Free Voters with 9.1 percent. The FDP landed at 5.9 and the Left at 4.3 percent.
Seitz called on politicians to take this result seriously and to analyze it thoroughly. The BJR president criticized the federal government’s planned cuts to the children and youth plan by almost 45 million euros as fatal. This would massively jeopardize proven youth work structures shortly after the Corona pandemic. During the crisis, politicians only viewed the situation of young people in the school context for a long time. This lack of appreciation still has an impact on children and young people.
Seitz again spoke out in favor of lowering the voting age. In the future, every bill will have to undergo a youth check at the state level. Municipalities should be obliged to appoint youth representatives. The BJR is the working group of 36 nationwide and 39 regional youth associations as well as 311 local youth groups in Bavaria. According to its own information, its member organizations reach more than two thirds of all children and young people in the Free State with their offerings.