In the debate about the independence of political education in Berlin, the tone between the CDU and SPD is becoming harsher. A planned initiative by the Christian Democrats, who want to influence the content of the work of the State Centre for Political Education in the futureSPD parliamentary group leader Raed Saleh harshly rejected this on Wednesday. “The state headquarters must be able to do its work free from political majorities,” said Saleh during a demonstrative visit to the state headquarters.
Addressing his coalition partners, Saleh added: “I assume that in the end it will be clear to the coalition that political work in the area of adult education is needed more urgently than ever.” The state center should be able to do its work “free from political statements and motives,” Saleh added.
Most recently, plans by the education administration to place the work of the state center under the control of a democracy education department that is currently being established, caused severe criticism from the Left, the Greens and also the SPD“The CDU is interfering with the independence of the State Center for Political Education in Berlin,” criticized Louis Krüger, school policy spokesman for the Green Party and member of the board of trustees of the State Center, on Wednesday. Saleh must be judged by his words, he continued.
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Meanwhile, an online petition launched seven days ago entitled “Maintain the independence of the Berlin State Center for Political Education!” had collected more than 19,400 signatures by late Wednesday afternoon, including numerous professors from all of Berlin’s major universities. They warn of a weakening of democracy education and political education in Berlin and a concomitant strengthening of anti-democratic actors in the country.
Heads for new staff unit to be appointed
The focus of criticism is Youth Councillor Falko Liecke (CDU)who is considered the initiator of the planned staff unit. He recently declared that he wanted to put an end to the “uncontrolled growth” of funding for political education and has the backing of Education Senator Katharina Günther-Wünsch (CDU).
According to information from Tagesspiegel, it has already been decided who will head the staff unit for Liecke: Michael Hammerbacher and Carl Chung are considered promising candidates for the positions, which the education administration is to fill without a tender.
Hammerbacher is the head of the “Devi” association, which runs projects in schools against right-wing extremism, discrimination, confrontational religious expression and Islamism. Chung is the head of the political education and projects department at the Jewish educational organization for democracy – against anti-Semitism “Jehi ‘Or”. Both are considered to be confidants of Liecke. A “special relationship of trust” between the political leadership and the staff office is considered “of particular importance” within the organization.
