Social - Children's Protection League demands extension of the state constitution
The lowering of the voting age to 16 years and the expansion of the Rhineland-Palatinate constitution to include participatory rights for children and youth: The Children's Protection League is calling for a change in the Rhineland-Palatinate constitution in these two areas. "We agree with the coalition on the voting age, but unfortunately the CDU is not on board with that," said the Landesvorsitzend of the Children's Protection League, Klaus Peter Lohest, in a press agency interview with the German Press Agency in Mainz.
"Another important topic is child poverty," Lohest said. "We don't see the SPD taking a strong enough stance on the issue of child welfare benefits." The Children's Protection League would like to see the Rhineland-Palatinate SPD and former Social Minister and current Minister-President Alexander Schweitzer (SPD) in Berlin taking a stronger stance on this issue. "Child welfare benefits are the instrument that has the greatest structural impact in preventing child poverty." The state needs prevention concepts and chains against child poverty. The state should support the municipalities more in this regard.
Hessen and Bremen as models for constitutional change
"The participation of children and youth should be encouraged," Lohest justified his demand for the enshrining of participatory rights. And: "All state measures should be directed towards the well-being of the child." Models for this constitutional change are Bremen and Hessen.
In Hessen, children's rights, in accordance with the UN Children's Rights Convention, were incorporated into the state constitution in 2018. It states, among other things, that "in all matters concerning children, the well-being of the child is a fundamental consideration." Bremen followed suit. The concern that parents' rights would be diminished is unfounded, added Vice President Joachim Türk, who is also a member of the Federal Association.
For the necessary constitutional change, a two-thirds majority is required. This is only possible with the votes of the government parties SPD, Greens, and FDP, as well as the opposition CDU.
Bremen State Constitution
- The Children's Protection League looks to Bremen and Hessen as potential models for enshrining participatory rights for children and youth in the Rhineland-Palatinate constitution, following in the footsteps of Hessen, which incorporated children's rights according to the UN Children's Rights Convention into its state constitution in 2018.
- In a press agency interview with the German Press Agency in Mainz, Klaus Peter Lohest, the Landesvorsitzend of the Children's Protection League, expressed agreement with the coalition on lowering the voting age but criticized the CDU for not supporting this change.
- The state needs to implement prevention concepts and chains against child poverty, and the state should provide more support to municipalities in this regard, according to the Children's Protection League.
- Bremen also incorporated children's rights into its state constitution after Hessen, sharing the concern that parents' rights would be diminished, which Vice President Joachim Türk, who is a member of the Federal Association, dismissed as unfounded.
- The necessary constitutional change in Rhineland-Palatinate requires a two-thirds majority, which can only be achieved with the support of the government parties SPD, Greens, and FDP, as well as the opposition CDU.
- Lohest also noted that another important topic is child poverty, expressing disappointment that the SPD is not taking a stronger stance on child welfare benefits, which he believes are the instrument that can have the greatest impact in preventing child poverty.
