Ongoing developments in Germany with regards to civic space have deeply concerned us at the Civil Society Forum. We have become aware of the situation of Radikale Töchter, a civil society organisation whose public funding has been halted by the Ministry of the Interior. Radikale Töchter stands for democracy and against right wing extremism via their programmes, including “Courage Muscle Workshops”, a democracy project for young people in rural regions.
This case follows closely on the recent decision by Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer to cancel the awarding of the national bookstore prize on March 19 after excluding three left-wing bookstores in Berlin, Bochum and Göttingen from the jury list (and a potential financial prize) referring to an ongoing investigation into extremism, reportedly in consultation with the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. All this is happening in a landscape that has been difficult for NGOs on both a German and EU level, with last year’s pre-election Christian Democratic Union (CDU) inquiry into NGO funding and the Scrutiny Group established by the conservatives to do the same thing at EU level.
In addition to restricting the right to freedom of expression, such measures risk undermining the diversity of perspectives that public cultural and civic funding is intended to safeguard. Public funding is, by definition, derived from society as a whole and must reflect the diversity of opinions within it. It should not be contingent on perceived political alignment or loyalty, but rather on the work being carried out – and what benefits this work accrues for society. Furthermore, the lack of transparent and clearly justified criteria in both of these cases only creates unease and uncertainty, contributing to a chilling effect across civil society and further widening the divide between civil society and governmental insitutions. Reliable and consistent funding frameworks are essential for organisations working to promote democratic participation and counter extremism, especially in underserved regions.
We stand with all those affected. We call on the German government to uphold its commitment to freedom of expression, ensure that funding decisions remain transparent and evidence-based and clearly separate the allocation of public resources from political alignment. A resilient democracy depends on a vibrant, pluralistic civil society that is able to operate without fear of debilitating shutdowns.
