Federal Family Minister Karin Prien (CDU) has launched the promised overhaul of the program “Democracy Lives!” Initiatives aimed at democratic coexistence, countering extremism, and promoting diversity will have to submit to stricter funding criteria in the future and face upfront scrutiny by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. This is outlined in the funding calls published by the Ministry of Family Affairs in Berlin.
The program “Democracy Lives!” has funded since 2014 projects that defend against extremism, racism, anti-LGBTQ+ prejudice, and antisemitism. This year, around 190 million euros are available. Prien had announced that funding for approximately 200 projects would wind down at year’s end, with new conditions to take effect. The minister regards the program as left-leaning. Her stated objective with the overhaul is to promote more initiatives in the political center of society.
New Funding Call
Concretely, a funding call has now been issued for a “new federal program level” intended for nationwide organizations. In other words, organizations can express their interest in continued state support, but now under this new framework. Several requirements for the initiatives are stricter than in the current guidelines. For example, only “legal entities with recognized tax-privilege” may apply. They must contribute ten percent of their budget themselves—this is the so-called co-financing, with exceptions in some cases.
They must also participate in the so-called Haber procedure. This is a two-step screening by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, named after a 2017 circular from then-State Secretary in the Interior Ministry, Emily Haber. According to the funding call, under “sufficient cause” a review for constitutionally relevant findings by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution may follow.
The application of the Haber procedure to the German Bookseller Prize caused a stir in the spring. Three bookstores were denied the prize on the basis of the Haber procedure. Critics argued that the review was opaque. It was never disclosed what exactly the bookstores were alleged to have done.
New Program Components
The “Bund program level” is one of five components under “Democracy Lives!” Two of them — the municipal and the state level — are not expected to be changed, according to the ministry. In addition, two new parts are planned: a dedicated program level “Digital Space” to counter radicalization online, and a new “Special Initiative: Integration and Participation” to strengthen dialogue and social cohesion.
