Surprising alliance: Steinhausen and UGDS unite forces in Großbeeren

Surprising alliance: Steinhausen and UGDS unite forces in Großbeeren

A surprising political alliance is emerging in Großbeeren: Dirk Steinhausen from the Großbeeren Voters' Community (WfG) has founded a new faction that unites forces with the voter initiative “Our Großbeeren - Your Voice” (UGDS). This reports maz-online.de. Former mayor Tobias Borstel, co-founder of the UGDS, and Steinhausen, who were previously considered political opponents, are now joining forces. These developments came to the fore particularly after Steinhausen lost his parliamentary group status when Thomas Thiel switched to the CDU.

Returning to the political arena is important for Steinhausen because after this loss he was only able to attend community representative meetings and had to give up his committee seats. Klaus Meyer, parliamentary group leader of the UGDS, emphasized that Steinhausen was excluded and that many important voters no longer had democratic representation. He believes there are more similarities than differences between the two groups. Steinhausen himself emphasizes the need to counteract divisions and bring practical work to the fore.

Citizen participation in focus

One of Dirk Steinhausen's central concerns is greater citizen participation in local politics. On his website dirk-steinhausen.de He describes that he cares about the ideas and criticisms of citizens. Citizens should be actively involved in the political decision-making process. In times when trust in political institutions is dwindling, citizen participation is more in demand than ever, like the platform ThoughtPolitics.de explained. Citizens' assemblies, participatory budgeting and participatory planning processes are just some of the ways in which citizens can actively participate. This not only strengthens transparency, but also promotes a sense of community.

Steinhausen's political program also addresses many of the needs of citizens. In this way, he links the creation of affordable housing with the need to expand the social infrastructure. The expansion of local public transport and the reduction of noise pollution are also issues that are close to his heart. Particular attention is paid to the creation of meeting places to promote interaction between people of different age groups.

Future view and challenges

However, the challenges for greater citizen participation are diverse. A lack of interest from citizens and financial hurdles that often have to be overcome are just a few aspects that need to be considered. Steinhausen sees this as an opportunity to make his politics more accessible and closer to the citizens.

Overall, a positive trend is emerging: Instead of remaining in old rivalries, Steinhausen and the UGDS are relying on cooperation and joint action. This could be a new path to greater transparency and participation for the community of Großbeeren. With a fresh approach and taking citizens' voices into account, politics in Großbeeren is facing an exciting time.