The Federal government wants to increase funding in the fight against extremism and anti-Semitism. But that’s not enough, find many initiatives. Because you have other Worries.
Conclusion after 20 years? The program “Exit” since two decades, former neo-Nazis and extremists at the exit from the scene. But now a number of drop-outs have received some bad news: It is not sure whether they are also cared for in the next year, continue on your way. For many, this was a severe blow. “Some of them are persecuted by the scene and threatened with death,” says “Exit”-founder Dr. Bernd Wagner of the DW. A secure support is therefore absolutely necessary.
But still the employees of the “Exit don’t know” whether they received the necessary funding of € 250,000 for the coming year. The Federal government promised six years ago a long-term funding for the drop-out help. “But it came to nothing,” says Bernd Wagner, “We feel of the old, and the subsequent Federal government kidding.”
Currently, Exit is funded, like many other initiatives to counter extremism, by the Federal program “democracy live”. Most recently, criticism was loud because of the Federal budget wanted to cut the funding of the programme for 2020 to eight million euros.
A legal terrorist was shot dead on Wednesday two people
However, a few hours after the fatal shooting in the hall by a Right-wing, the competent Federal Ministry for family Affairs announced: The cuts are withdrawn. The program should be equipped in the next year, with more than 115 million euros and thus at the same level as 2019 continued. “In the case of the use of the additional resources will also respond to the current challenges. It will support further projects in this area in their work”, – said the representative of the competent Federal Ministry for family Affairs of the DW.
Projects must regularly fear for existence
But even after this decision, the funded projects against racism and anti-Semitism are anything other than worry-free. They suffer particularly from the lack of planning security. To understand this, is a look at the funding concept of the Federal government necessary. The concept is designed to model projects. The funding phase lasts for a maximum of three to five years. The cards are then shuffled. Each project and each carrier also has established programs such as “Exit” – must then apply new. Strategies for long-term support it yet.
A project for a Funding period is adopted, must submit to the head of which nevertheless, year for year, requests for an extension. This takes a lot of energy and time. “You can’t really work on a sustained basis or stringently,” says Sophia Oppermann. She is the Executive Director of the Association “show your face”, which is working with various projects against anti-Semitism and right-wing violence. “What the policy really wants from the projects, is taken by the logic of the model project promotion time and again contaminated and back,” says Oppermann.
Knowledge and expertise will be lost
Just as with the drop-out the help of “Exit” is also at the club, “the face show” for sure how to do it from January on. The promotion of two of the three projects submitted by the Association was rejected. For the third project now needs to be a further application. The final approval for the financing is then carried out, so the club hopes – in December.
Until then, the employees can’t be sure whether you have in January is still a job. “This ensures that employees look for other Jobs,” says Sophia Oppermann. “As a result, a lot of Expertise and competence is lost that we actually need for the content of the work.”
Stop in the hall no “alarm signs”
Huge bureaucratic costs, planning uncertainty and little money: these are the hurdles the projects in the fight against anti-Semitism and extremism. The initiatives are calling for more support from the policy. Because the situation was serious. And not just since the recent “warning signs” from the hall, the CDU-Chairman, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer called the attack. Swastika graffiti and desecrated graveyards, alarm signals, are Heiko Clear by the Association of the mobile consultancy against right-wing extremism says. “What we have now is a disaster. And is actually part of a trend that we see since many years.”
A statistics of the Federal Ministry of the interior shows that the number of recorded anti-Semitic crime rises for four years. 2015 1,366 attacks, 2018 then 1.799, with an average of five per day. Also, the dissemination of anti-Semitic theories to take for years, says Bernd Wagner of the drop-out the help of “Exit”. “The so-called end-time question – i.e. global rule of the Jews, Yes or no – is high virolent and seeps in more and more in education circles.”
Players want long-term support
Sophia Oppermann of “show your face”
To counteract this, must ask the Federal government, which strategy she wants to pursue in the promotion of democracy, says Heiko Clear. In addition to supporting model projects, the players want long-term support for established programs. “What is missing, is a law”, so Clear.
Also, some politicians make themselves strong. Green party politician Claudia Roth of the “Augsburger Allgemeine” said: “We need to support organizations, promote democracy, against right-wing extremism, racism or fighting for the protection of minorities to use – for this we need a democracy promotion act.” The integration Commissioner of the Federal government, Annette Widmann-Mauz (CDU), said: “What needs to happen for the last one to get it: Germany has a far-right Problem!”
Federal Minister of family Affairs Franziska Giffey (SPD) had spoken out several times in the past for a law for the promotion of democracy. It’s a fail, but so far the opposition of the Union. Minister Giffey promised: “I will advertise with our coalition partners in favour of it.“