Diversity in the Bundestag
September 30, 2009
Of 82 million inhabitants in Germany, about fifteen million have a so-called "migration background," among them roughly 2.5 million people with Turkish ancestry. But their presence is hardly reflected in the composition of the newly elected German Bundestag.
If people with immigrant backgrounds were to be proportionately represented in the German parliament, more than 100 out of 622 members of the Bundestag would have foreign roots. But the actual number is more like 15. Just five of them have Turkish roots. Still, it's an improvement over previous election years.
Two existing parliamentary representatives of Turkish ancestry - Elin Deligoez (Greens) and Sevim Dagdelen (Left party), were re-elected. They were joined by three new members: Aydan Oezoguz (Social Democrats), Memet Kilic (Greens) and Serkan Toeren (Free Democrats).
New faces
Lawyer Serkan Toeren was born in Turkey. His father came to Germany as a guest worker in the 70s, and Toeren says he hopes to achieve legal equality for people with immigrant backgrounds. In his opinion, the path to equality begins with education.
"For our children, job training is very important," says Toeren. "We must also place a great emphasis on preschool education. The previous governments haven't done any specific work on this point. We want to bring this issue to the forefront."
According to a report on education in Germany published in 2006, students of Turkish heritage are significantly more likely than their German peers to be tracked into the Hauptschule, the least rigorous of Germany's three high school options.
Party Lines
A number of the representatives are suspicious in general of the new coalition between the Christian Democrats and the Free Democrats. Ekin Deligoez, a representative of the Green party who has been in parliament since 1998, expects difficult disagreements with the new government:
"I think the new coalition is going to set us back on some topics," says Deligoez. "Of course it will be felt in the policy towards foreigners. That's why it's my goal to work against this regressive development - to give foreigners a voice here, but also to accomplish some of our own goals, for the future of our children."
The German parties have a hard time ensuring that the changing demographics are reflected in their own candidates. Observers say it may be because the base of the party doesn't support "foreign" candidates, or that party strategists underestimate the voting potential of those with diverse cultural roots.
Previously, most of the Turkish people living in Germany supported the Social Democratic Party, but today they more open. Waiting for the Christian Democrats to come calling, however, is probably in vain. And with the exception of Green Party leader Cem Oezdemir, no politician with a migration background holds a prominent political office in any party.
A 2008 study by the Max Planck Institute suggested that there are so few politicians with immigrant roots because the society in Germany does not place much value on equal rights for all the country's citizens. Only the Greens and the Left are committed to including migrant activists.
The large parties would like to have the some people of migrant background in their ranks, but they don't do much to get them. The Max Planck report concludes that "long-standing power structures, local fiefdoms, and fear that electors will respond negatively to such candidates" are all factors working against an increase in the number of members of the Bundestag with immigrant roots.
Author: Matthias von Hellfeld (smh/svs)
Editor: Michael Lawton