Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens) has spoken out in favor of a voting age of 16 in federal elections. “The voting age should also be lowered to 16 in the Bundestag elections, so that the interests and needs of the younger generation are fundamentally taken into account and taken into account in political decisions right from the start,” Paus told the newspapers of the Funke media group, according to a statement on Sunday.
Children and young people have the impression that society is not really interested in their situation, the minister added. “That’s why I urgently want to give young people a better voice.” In this context, she referred to the corona pandemic and the Ukraine war, which had left a particularly strong mark on children and young people.
“We’re seeing an increase in eating disorders, depression and other mental illnesses,” Paus said. During the pandemic, children and young people showed solidarity with their parents and grandparents – and were all too often left alone with the consequences.
In November, the Bundestag decided to lower the minimum voting age for European elections from 18 to 16. The new regulation is to be applied for the first time in the elections to the EU Parliament planned for May 2024. (AFP, dpa)
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