Steinmeier on a visit home: Citizens' dialogues and bratwurst in Neuruppin!

Steinmeier on a visit home: Citizens' dialogues and bratwurst in Neuruppin!

Today, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier began his three-day trip to Neuruppin, which takes place from July 1st to 3rd. The aim of his visit is to talk directly to the citizens and to get to know the charming city with its 32,000 inhabitants, known as the birthplace of personalities such as Theodor Fontane, Karl Friedrich Schinkel and Eva Strittmatter, better. During his stay, Steinmeier is not only accompanied by security guards, office staff and journalists, but also by a charming reception where many citizens greet him in a friendly manner and ask for photos.

What does he have to offer? In addition to a warm atmosphere and tranquil walks through the city, there are various activities on the program. This includes visits to a canoe club and a dragon boat trip on Lake Ruppiner. The open-air reading with the winner of the Fontane Literature Prize, Lisa Kränzler, who introduces the history of the city, as well as the visit to the gallery for contemporary art “Kunstraum Neuruppin” will also be exciting. Steinmeier has announced that he does not want to make big speeches, but would rather use the time for personal discussions with the residents.

Real citizen dialogue takes center stage

A central element of Steinmeier's visit is the several-hour citizen dialogue on the topic of German unity, which is part of the “Local Time Germany” series. The Federal President wants - as he himself emphasizes - to provide an impulse against the negative culture of conversation and to strengthen exchange and encounters through dialogue. According to the reports on citizen dialogues, which have become increasingly important in Germany, the inclusion of citizens' opinions is of utmost importance for politics, even if there is always criticism of the lack of implementation of results. As tagesschau.de reports, many doubt the practical consequences of such dialogues and speak of a growing distance between politicians and citizens.

Steinmeier will conduct his official business during his stay from Neuruppin and will meet, among other things, with the mayor and parliamentary group leader. An exciting facet of his program will be the discussion in the multi-generational house about developments in Neuruppin. The local group of the Technical Relief Organization (THW), which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, is also visited here. The technical discussion in the Neuruppin district court about domestic violence should also be very interesting, a topic that needs more attention in society.

A sign of connection

As part of the conclusion of his trip, Steinmeier will award an order to committed citizens from Brandenburg in the Kulturkirche. Moments like these are especially important to celebrate the diversity and commitment that strengthen communities. Steinmeier has created “Local Time” as a platform to promote dialogue, especially after the challenges of the Corona lockdown. This is the 16th stop in its series, which after Senftenberg stops again in Brandenburg and continues the tradition of bringing people closer to the feeling of participation and co-determination in democracy.

For Steinmeier one thing is clear: “Exchange and encounters are essential for our democracy.” It remains to be seen how the encounters in Neuruppin will be received and whether they will lead to real participation from citizens. At a time when trust in politics often leaves much to be desired, every dialogue is a step in the right direction.