Educators voice concerns regarding the teenagers' right to vote at 16 years old.
Approximately 1 million novice voters under 18 voted in the European election. This development is causing concern among teachers' unions. While schools provide sufficient political education, there still remains a lack of enthusiasm for politics.
For the first time in Germany, young people aged 16 and above were granted the right to participate in the European election, prompting the Federal Student Conference to advocate for similar privileges in all future democratic processes. "We believe this is a smart move and encourages increased political participation among young people," Louisa Basner, General Secretary, remarked to the Funke Media Group's newspapers. This direct involvement would allow youngsters to witness the consequences of their decisions.
The Federal Statistical Office estimates that around 1.4 million 16 and 17-year-old eligible voters in Germany were able to vote in the European election at the end of 2023. However, Basner emphasized that discussions on the right to vote may not always align with awareness of the European election. "Whether the European election is even mentioned is at the discretion of individual teachers."
The German Teachers' Association views the decision to lower the age to 16 for the European as a double-edged sword. "I'm undecided about whether this was a good idea," said Union President Stefan Düll to the Funke-Zeitungen. While some young people treat their right to vote very seriously, "however, many are not interested in politics in all its facets," Düll observed. Schools do more than enough when it comes to political education.
Nevertheless, the teachers' union president is adamant against granting the same privilege to vote in federal and state elections. "Assuming responsibility for matters beyond one's own person must develop with age," he said. Consequently, reaching adulthood is legally recognized at the age of 18. Lisa Paus, Federal Youth Minister, has, however, thrown her support behind a general reduction in the voting age.
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In light of the success of young voters in the European elections, there have been calls for the EU Parliament elections to be lowered to 16 as well. Despite the enthusiasm of some young voters, the EU Parliament elections are not regularly discussed in schools, leading to concerns about their understanding and engagement with these elections.
