Elections: 52 million people called for social elections

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52 million people called for social elections

There are some special features in this year’s social election. photo

© picture alliance / Lino Mirgeler/dpa

Compared to other elections in Germany, the social election does not attract as much attention. This year, however, there are special features – the federal election commissioner speaks of “two innovations”.

Around 52 million insured persons and pensioners can determine the social parliaments in Germany in the social elections until May 31st.

From the point of view of those responsible, the social election is breaking new ground, as the federal election commissioner, long-time CDU MP Peter Weiß, told the German Press Agency. Because gender quotas and the planned pilot project for online voting are “two innovations” of the 2023 social elections.

During the social elections, members of the administrative boards of the statutory health insurance funds and the representatives’ meetings of the statutory accident and pension insurance funds are determined. Starting this Monday, more than 30 million people with pension insurance and pensioners will receive letters of pre-election notice and information flyers about the election.

Roßbach: Self-government plays an important role

The President of the German Pension Insurance Association, Gundula Roßbach, campaigned for social elections. “Many are not even aware of the important role self-government plays,” Roßbach told the dpa in Berlin. In the social election, contributors and pensioners choose “their self-government,” as Roßbach said. The contributors helped shape the pension insurance through self-government and social elections.

According to Roßbach, for example, all administrative decisions with which people do not agree go through an appeals committee. “Here representatives of the insured and the employer make the decisions about the objection.” The self-government also makes sure that the administration makes legally correct decisions – for example about the payment of rehabilitation or a disability pension. “It specifically designs rehabilitation offers from the pension insurance system,” Roßbach continued.

In the case of long-Covid rehabs, for example, self-administration was decisive in order to quickly introduce the existing rehabilitation offers from the pension insurance. Important research work was also initiated by the self-government. The approximately 4,500 voluntary advisors for pension insurance are also part of the self-government.

Social election 2023 could become a role model

The social elections in 2023 could have a somewhat exemplary character, according to the assessment of the election commissioner Weiß. He announced that the five major health insurance companies want to start a model test for an online election this time. So far, it has been purely postal voting. At an internal meeting at the end of February, a decision will be made as to whether the pilot project will actually take place. Tests and preparations are still ongoing. “If the online election is a success, it could serve as a model for other elections in Germany,” said Weiss. Among other things, he mentioned local elections for possible future online procedures.

Weiss also pointed to the women’s quota of 40 percent on the electoral lists, which has now been introduced for the first time for the self-administration of the health insurance companies. For the other branches of social insurance, the 40 percent quota is only a recommendation. However, Weiß announced that many women were on the lists for pension insurance, including on the employer side. “The gender quota kicks off something, also as a target determination,” said the CDU man.

Voter turnout in social elections is traditionally low. In the most recent social election in 2017, it was around a third. Roßbach said: “In order to further increase the turnout, we will clearly point out the tasks and the service of the self-government for those entitled to vote.”

Eligible voters who have not received their voting documents by May 11 should, according to the applicable regulations, submit an application for the issue and transmission of the voting documents by May 19 at the latest.

dpa

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