"An update for our democracy" - A book review

Jascha Rohr (ed.) An update for our democracy. Political innovations for more co-determination, participation and transparency oekom Verlag Munich 2025 ISBN 978-3-98727-165-7, 433 p.

Viola Schubert-Lehnhardt, member of the Care Revolution network, presents her view of the book in the following text. Thank you!

The goals stated in the subtitle are among the core concerns of the care revolution network. In order to achieve these goals, there are not only numerous information events, texts and participation in activities of similar groups, but also numerous campaigns and actions (e.g. "Platz für Sorge", "Lichter für Inklusion" etc.). In contrast to some other political groups and actors, however, these were always carried out peacefully and by democratic means. Co-operation within the network is also constantly scrutinised for compliance with grassroots democracy. At the same time, the search for new comrades-in-arms and forms of action continues. This book provides numerous suggestions for doing just that. AND (this seems to me to be almost the most important thing): it shows ways and means of winning over people for participation in certain actions who, for a variety of reasons, do not want to commit themselves organisationally.

The text describes methods and ways of realising them in 25 chapters by a wide variety of authors and, above all, actors. According to the publisher, the book is being published at exactly the right time, as democracies around the world currently seem to be losing their appeal. It is therefore not just a matter of defending what already exists, but of stabilising and further developing existing democracy with new ideas, discussions and changes.

After an introduction by Stefan Rohr on how democracies have been brought down in the past (including the Weimar Republic), he describes the tools for shaping democracy: fundamental rights, institutions, political culture. This is followed by further chapters on the sections Drafts for a democratic political system, for better institutions and procedures, for a better political culture, for better participation and co-determination and for citizen experts. Each chapter is divided into a summary, the draft of the respective idea, the concept, fears and sources. There are also colour illustrations for a better understanding of the possible process.

Two examples are provided to demonstrate the ideas presented:

1. involving the expertise of all MPs in the drafting of important laws. Up to now, these have been drafted by ministries and voted on in parliament, with the governing coalition dominating due to its majority. As a result, valuable input from the opposition has often been ignored. It is therefore proposed that all members of parliament be involved in future under professional moderation by an external institute.

2. trams, regional trains and long-distance trains will become lively places of democracy. 10-15 minute conversations between up to three passengers offer the opportunity for political participation in democratic processes in everyday life. This metro_polis project has already been implemented on trams in Dresden and Leipzig and in Lusatia in Saxony. Over 10,000 participants have realised that social controversies can be negotiated constructively and in a spirit of goodwill through this exchange between people with different backgrounds, experiences and views.

In my opinion, it is also essential for the care revolution network to ally itself with local authorities and to win them over to the desired goals (see the experiences from Barcelona and Naples). The book also provides many tips on this in a separate chapter.