At the end of the year, North Rhine-Westphalia’s Prime Minister Wüst is worried about the future: in his view, the European elections in 2024 will be a benchmark for democracy.
North Rhine-Westphalia’s Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst appeals to citizens to do more to protect democracy. This includes exercising the right to vote and sending a clear signal against populists. “I would therefore like people to mark June 9, 2024 in their calendars now,” said the CDU politician to the German Press Agency in Düsseldorf with a view to the European elections. Then it will be more important than ever that everyone shows the flag for democracy with their vote. “The European elections will be a measure of the strength of the internal constitution of our democracy,” emphasized Wüst. “It’s about a lot.”
The NRW head of government said he was worried about the increasing polarization of society. The election result in the Netherlands with the victory of right-wing populist Geert Wilders showed what happens when democrats do not find common solutions on key policy issues. “Populists from the right and the left are cleverly exploiting this: They promise simple solutions that, of course, don’t actually exist,” warned Wüst. “The power of populists arises from the inability of Democrats to act.” In contrast, all democratic parties in Germany would have to “forge a centrist alliance”.
But it doesn’t just depend on the parties, but on each individual. In times of crisis and uncertainty, society must stand together and stand up all the more for peace, freedom and democracy, said Wüst. “I would like to see many people in the country thinking about what they have in democracy in our country and in Europe – despite all the challenges.”
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
