Legislative body - State parliament head commends high voter participation.
The head of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's parliament, Birgit Hesse, applauded the impressive voter turnout during the recent European and Local Elections on Sunday. An astonishing 65.7% of residents in the northeastern state took part in the elections, which marks an improvement from the 58.4% voter turnout in 2019.
Yet, Hesse also issued a warning. "There's a worrying mood in our state, Germany, and other European Union member countries with many individuals clearly dissatisfied," she shared during the Landtag session in Schwerin on Wednesday. This dissatisfaction is not necessarily negative; people have a right to express their frustrations through their votes, as seen in the significant increase in support for the AfD. The right-wing party received 28.3% in the European Elections and 25.6% in the Local Elections. Likewise, the new alliance led by Sahra Wagenknecht managed to garner a 16.4% share in the European Elections.
Hesse encouraged citizens to actively participate in the political process beyond just voting. "Make specific suggestions and take action to ensure our society keeps advancing while your own interests are considered," she encouraged. This could involve writing to political parties, sending letters to the media, submitting petitions to the Petitions Committee of the Landtag, or even initiating their own projects. Engagement can also be exhibited through protests and signature campaigns.
The Landtag President urged elected officials to pay attention to such civic engagement. "Remember, criticism should not be ignored or belittled," she said. Different viewpoints, beliefs, and values are all acceptable. "What matters is how we handle the resulting objectives." Sometimes, people feel their voices are dismissed; however, Hesse emphasized the importance of seeing conflict culture as an opportunity for constructive dialogue.
