Voting rights

The following comments reflect the views of DW-WORLD.DE readers. DW-WORLD.DE reserves the right to edit for length and appropriateness of content.

All comments come from Facebook.

Symbolic election gives Berlin's foreigners a voice

Should immigrants have the right to vote?

No, not until they are citizens. Otherwise they will only vote for officials who will not make them become Germans - both as citizens and culturally. -- Brent C., USA

This matter should not to be asked, because they have the right. If we can't respect each other, it means we are no different from animals. -- Ian D., Sweden

If they've been living in the same city for over five years, then I don't see why they shouldn't be allowed to vote on that city's issues. But as for countrywide voting, no, only a citizen should have the right to vote. -- Lena M.

I'm German and I believe that all foreigners should have the right to vote in local elections, just like European Union citizens already can. But I am totally against voting rights for immigrants as far as state and federal elections in Germany are concerned. -- Tilman V., Germany

Once you open up things like this, immigrants will demand much more. So I say no! -- Friedrich W.

It is a citizen's right to be able to vote, so they should become citizens before being eligible to vote. If they really want to, they should just apply for citizenship. That shows they would vote for the benefit of the country where they are nationals. -- Michael D.

Why shouldn't immigrants be allowed to vote? If a person has lived in Germany for years, then why not? Are immigrants not human beings? -- Kelly O.

I won't say yes or no, but put it like this: Do immigrants have a right to be concerned about the situation where they live and the society they are part of? -- Alireza K., Iran

I would love to move to Germany to live and work, and am hoping to do this in a few years. Would I want the right to vote even though I will be counted as an immigrant? No, not until I have earned my right to be a citizen of Germany, along with the trust and respect of my community. Sacrifice, hard work and paying taxes are signs of a true citizen. They are the ones who should be voting. -- Robert D., USA

Bulgarian pensioners grow cannabis for cash

Would you risk growing cannabis for extra cash?

Personally, no. But I think cannabis prohibition is pretty silly. It doesn't work and it wastes a lot of money. -- Levi T., USA

People have grown cannabis for hundreds of years. If you don't want people to become criminals, decriminalize cannabis. -- Roland D.

Prohibition didn't work with alcohol in the 1920s, and it is a failure again with cannabis today. -- Leonard W.

I wouldn't do it, but as others said, cannabis should be decriminalized. It is less harmful to society than alcohol. -- Louis B.

Have the Bulgarian pensioners ever thought about how their homegrown cannabis will be distributed? Such processing will have harmed countless individuals by the time the cannabis reaches [its destination]. -- Wai-man I., China

Compiled by Shant Shahrigian

Editor: Martin Kuebler