Citizens' dialogue in Bremerhaven
What questions do people have for politicians, and what are their expectations? What issues move people in the region? What are their wishes and concerns, and what would they criticise? That is what the Chancellor wanted to know when she visited Bremerhaven. Her first stop was at the local job centre, before she met with local people to answer their questions.
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In Bremerhaven Chancellor Angela Merkel answered the questions put by local people
Photo: Bundesregierung
Unemployment is high in and around Bremerhaven. The Chancellor first spoke to job centre staff to find out more about their practical work. One thing she wanted to know more about was what action is taken to help the long-term unemployed.
Citizens’ dialogue in Bremerhaven
The citizens’ dialogue in Bremerhaven’s Fischbahnhof centre in the late afternoon gave interested individuals from in and around Bremerhaven the chance to discuss the subjects close to their heart with the Chancellor. A wide spectrum of issues was raised, from upload filters and climate action to statutory health insurance and suicide prevention as well as debt relief programmes for the least developed countries.
After a plea to all citizens to become actively involved in preserving democracy, and a pledge to one lady to review her pension, the Chancellor answered two private questions at the end of the afternoon: she revealed that she is happy when her family is healthy and that she has always been happy to be re-elected Chancellor. And, she admitted, she can get annoyed – with herself as much as with anybody else.
Citizens’ dialogues with the Chancellor have been held for many years in a number of different formats and covering a wide spectrum of issues. They vary widely from town to town and have proved their worth as a forum for direct discussions.