Politics

Afro-German politicians gather in Berlin for networking conference

Politicians of African descent from the length and breadth of Germany and of all political colourations will gather in Berlin on Saturday (9 July) for a meet-up with members of the Black community. The event, tagged “The way into the parliaments – networking elected officials of African origin” (Der Weg in die Parlamente – Mandatsträger:innen afrikanischer Herkünfte vernetzen), is a …

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Germany: 17 MPs with migrant background elected in NRW

Around 9 per cent of the newly-elected MPs in North Rhine-Westphalia have a migration background, investigation by Mediendienst Integration, a service platform for journalists on issues of migration and integration in Germany, has found —— Germany’s most populous federal state, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), elected a new state parliament on 15 May. According to the findings of Mediendienst Integration, 17 of …

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Steinmeier re-elected as German President

Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier has been re-elected for a second term as the President of Germany. The Federal Assembly confirmed the 66-year-old Social Democrat in Berlin on Sunday with a large majority. He will thus remain Germany’s head of state for another five years. After his re-election, Steinmeier gave a combative speech in which he emphasised the strength of democracy, condemned …

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Germany: Scholz promises easier naturalisation, more participation for people with migrant roots

In his first government declaration, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, following up on his election campaign promises, announced plans to make naturalisation easier and create more opportunities for more participation in society for people with a migration background. Germany is a country of immigration, now it must now become an even better country of integration, he added. —— Chancellor Olaf Scholz has …

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What you should know about the new German Chancellor

About ten weeks after the Bundestag elections, the new Federal Government is in office. The Social Democrat Olaf Scholz has been elected as the new Federal Chancellor by the federal parliament. Carsten Hauptmeier introduces Angela Merkel’s successor. The social democrat Olaf Scholz heads the new governing coalition of the SPD, Greens and FDP as federal chancellor. Olaf Scholz, who already …

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African elected Mayor of German town

Dr Joy Alemazung has won the election for mayor of the city of Heubach, near Stuttgart, with an outstanding result on Sunday. The Cameroon-born politician, who ran as an independent candidate, won a whopping 66.22% of the popular vote, resoundingly defeating more than six other contestants. Speaking to the inhabitants and the press on Sunday evening after his election, the …

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Germany: Meet the four Afro-Germans elected into the Bundestag

The new German federal parliament is more diverse than ever. For the first time, there are four Afro-German members in the Bundestag, as well as more women, younger people and people with a migration background. Three of the Afro-German politicians won direct mandates, which means they won the highest number of votes cast in their constituencies. “Four Afro-Germans in the …

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First Black woman elected into German parliament

Awet Tesfaiesus has become the first Black woman to be elected into the German parliament. The 47-year-old lawyer achieved the feat on Sunday when she was elected on the platform of the Green Party to represent the state of Hesse. The Eritrean-born politician has been the spokesperson for integration and equality for the Green parliamentary group in the Kassel city …

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Karamba Diaby reelected into German parliament

Dr Karamba Diaby, representing the eastern German constituency of Halle (Saxony-Anhalt), has won his third election into the German parliament (Bundestag). The Senegalese-born member of the SPD, who won a direct mandate on Sunday, took to social media to thank his supporters for the resounding victory. “What an evening! “I am still overwhelmed by the great trust that the people …

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Why voters with migrant background could decide Germany’s general election – Study

Voters in Germany will elect a new federal parliament, the Bundestag, on Sunday, 26 September. 60.4 million people are entitled to vote. An estimated twelve percent of them, about 7.4 million people, have a migration background. A new study shows why this minority group could decide the winner of the election even though their issues hardly play a role in …

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Explainer: How the German general election works

Germans head to the polls on 26 September to vote in an election that will determine the successor to Chancellor Angela Merkel. DW breaks down the Bundestag election process. Germany has a notoriously complex voting system for electing its Bundestag — the lower house of parliament. The system seeks to combine the benefits of both direct and proportional representation while guarding …

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Germany’s migrant organisations demand employment quota in civil service

Organisations representing people with a migration background are calling for radical legislative solutions to improve their representation in public institutions. They have now presented a draft for a federal participation law …… The Federal Conference of Migrant Organisations (Bundeskonferenz der Migrantenorganisationen, BKMO) has called on the next federal government to enforce the equal participation of immigrants in society by law. …

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10 Tips to recognise Misinformation online!

It is easier than ever before for outlandish claims and misinformation to reach a mass audience. H. Colleen Sinclair, Associate Professor of Social Psychology, Mississippi State University, explains how you should deal with news on social media. A very interesting read! Propagandists are already working to sow disinformation and social discord in the run-up to the November elections in the …

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