Trust in democracy is waning. One reason for this – the fact that local authorities in particular have increasingly little say in shaping policy – is rarely discussed. Yet the local level is decisive for whether Germany remains a shared, citizen-driven project.
Democracy does not start to crumble at its edges; it crumbles where people feel they can no longer effect change. Yet there is certainly no lack of engagement in Germany. Millions of people organise community events, coach youth sports teams, and get involved in voluntary fire brigades, parents’ associations, and other local initiatives.
The crisis of democracy does not begin with indifference. It begins where engagement loses its political impact. For democracy is about more than just elections and institutions. It relies on the lived experience that individual voices count and decisions can be influenced. Political agency is not a side effect of democracy – it is its prerequisite.
But this experience is not universal across all political levels. The larger the political unit, the more abstract decisions become. European directives, national laws, and people’s everyday lives are often separated not only by years but also by various public bodies and layers of government. Democracy becomes something that citizens observe rather than help shape.
Local government is different. Decisions are taken here on how children are cared for, whether buses run, where housing is built, how public spaces are designed, and which cultural initiatives will be organised. Political decisions become visible, and their consequences can be experienced directly. Municipalities are also decisive for addressing the major challenges of our time, from education and care to integration and climate protection, which can only be tackled at the most proximate level possible.
It is for these reasons that local authorities are far more than administrative units; they are the school for democracy. Nowhere else are participation, responsibility, and accountability so closely intertwined. Here, people learn not only to voice their interests but also to take responsibility for their communities. For democracy is not held together by its institutions alone; it thrives as a republic supported by all.
Democracy Is Presiding Over Its Own Decline
Yet the very places that offer a concrete experience of democracy are being given less and less say. Political decisions, financial breathing room, and legal powers are increasingly being consolidated at higher levels. Responsibility is being shifted downwards, while power is pulled upwards. Local authorities are now expected to solve problems whose underlying causes they often have no control over. They have to meet expectations without the financial resources or scope for manoeuvre to do so.
The consequences of this extend far beyond the local level. When local politics administers rather than shapes, people lose the sense that democratic engagement can make a difference. When mayors, municipal councils, and local initiatives are hard pressed to achieve noticeable change, it creates the impression that political decisions are being taken elsewhere, and the sense of shared responsibility for the community is lost. This weakens not only local authorities but also trust in democracy itself.
The crucial question is therefore not how lost trust can be regained but where trust is actually built in the first place. The answer lies in our cities, towns, and neighbourhoods. It is there that the authorities need to be given real opportunities to shape their communities once again.
Those who wish to strengthen democracy cannot do so by simply explaining its importance. They must re-empower citizens to play a key role in shaping it.
Get Involved - Presidents' column
Get involved! There’s no other way to be real – thus the message of Heinrich Böll, and, to this day, his encouragement is inspiring us. With this column the Presidents of the Foundation involve themselves in current social and political debates. This column will appear each month, authored, in turn, by Jan Philipp Albrecht and Imme Scholz.