Germania

State Election Nordrhein-Westfalen 2022

Bündnis90/Grüne

Die Humanisten

Die Linke

Die PARTEI

Die Urbane.

Die Violetten

dieBasis

FAMILIE

Freie Wähler

MLPD

ÖDP

Piratenpartei

Team Todenhöfer

Tierschutzpartei

Verjüngungsforschung

Volt

ZENTRUM

At a community school, everyone is taught together from the first grade until graduation. Alternatively, there is the Gymnasium. Here, only those who want to achieve the Abitur go to school. It is under discussion whether pupils should also go to a community school up to the Abitur. 
The argument in favour of a community school in a multi-tier system is that some see separate education as a cause for the emergence or perpetuation of social inequality. For them, the community school represents a model that focuses on greater inclusion and integration, and in which pupils achieve higher learning successes through learning together. 
According to others, the argument in favour of an independent grammar school is that there is no evidence for higher learning success under these conditions and that learning groups with similarly good pupils would primarily fund educational success. In addition, a community school would not do justice to particularly gifted pupils.

In order to be able to hold a binding referendum in NRW, at least 66,000 signatures of eligible voters must first be collected so that the state parliament can deal with the matter. However, if the parliament rejects the proposal, about one million signatures are needed for a referendum to take place. Some criticise these high hurdles because they make it difficult for the people to have a direct influence on political decisions. However, this is necessary for democratic legitimacy. However, the argument against lowering the hurdles is that this could lead to a situation where a small proportion of voters could repeatedly delay the political process with the interests of minorities.

People with a German passport are allowed to vote in local elections in NRW, but also citizens of other EU member states who have a permanent residence in NRW.

Now it is being discussed whether this should also apply to state elections and to citizens of other nations outside the EU. 
Many people are arguing that permanent residents of Germany should be allowed to vote in elections, regardless of their country of origin. 

Their argument: even people without German citizenship are involved in the region and pay taxes. They are thus a part of society and should therefore also be allowed to help shape the rules. 

The argument against this proposal is that the right to vote must be linked to citizenship. Those who live in Germany for a long time should therefore apply for citizenship and thus receive the right to vote.

Up to now, coal has been used to process iron ore into steel, but this is now to be replaced by hydrogen. This is intended to eliminate an important factor in CO2 emissions and thus further slow down climate warming. Critics, however, argue that hydrogen is still too expensive at the moment. Green steel would therefore not be internationally competitive without massive subsidies.

The constitutionally anchored debt brake prohibits new government borrowing for the individual federal states independent of the economic situation. However, exceptions are made for special events such as natural disasters or economic crises, and the COVID-19 pandemic was also considered such an exception. This made it possible for the federal and state governments to finance the additional costs incurred, such as aid payments to certain industries, by taking on debt. Because of the currently very favourable interest rates and in order to finance investments in climate protection and education, there are calls for a further suspension of the debt brake. Critics, however, argue that only the debt brake enables a long-term perspective for public finances and is therefore indispensable.

The question of increased video surveillance in public spaces is a controversial topic.
 
While supporters on the one hand cite an increased sense of security among the population as well as better chances of prosecution in the event of a crime, critics on the other hand point out that misuse of the collected data could not be completely ruled out. 

The technical advances in the field of facial recognition could enable automatic identification and systematic surveillance of individuals without their knowledge.

Every year, more than 300,000 people in Germany have their electricity cut off if they have debts amounting to one sixth of their total annual bill. The cut-off mainly affects low-income earners and recipients of basic security benefits. Critics of the electricity cuts emphasise that without electricity it is not possible to cook or wash, and without light it is often not possible to do activities such as schoolwork. Social participation is impossible through electricity cuts, which makes the measure disproportionate. Against this, it is objected that people who want to claim a benefit also have to pay for it, and if they do not pay, the benefit does not have to be fulfilled. Moreover, there has recently been a decrease in the number of electricity disconnections in Germany.

In some federal states, people are allowed to vote in state elections from the age of 16. In NRW, the minimum age is 18, the same as for the Bundestag elections. Some call for voting rights from the age of 16 and believe that young people are just as willing to actively shape their future as adults. This is also reflected in their numerous voluntary activities and climate protests. Since the participation of young people in political decision-making processes will strengthen democracy, the voting age for state elections should be lowered to 16. Opponents argue that minors are easier to influence and that they cannot properly oversee and assess the consequences of their actions. They also question whether and to what extent young people already have political knowledge and how strong their political interest is.

Not least because of the war in Ukraine, the costs of petrol, electricity and heating have been rising sharply in recent times. 
Now the question is whether the country should counteract this increase by lowering taxes. 

Proponents argue that energy prices will soon become too high for many and that a countermeasure is therefore unavoidable. 

Critics, however, believe that tax cuts are the wrong way to go, because it is mainly people with high incomes who benefit from them.

In Germany, there must always be a suspicion of a criminal offence for a personal check. However, there are exceptions in the context of so-called suspicionless checks. This can only take place in places that are associated with increased criminality, e.g. drug trafficking. Here, checks on persons may be carried out even without concrete initial suspicion. Some see suspicionless controls as a violation of personal rights and therefore demand the abolition of controls. Others consider the controls to be an effective instrument to curb structural crime and therefore want to retain them.

Many people rely on the car every day. Therefore, some call for increased road expansion because commuters in particular suffer when roads fall into disrepair or necessary bypasses are not built. Others, however, argue that the environment suffers most when roads are expanded. Instead, more should be invested in rail expansion.

The NRW police have currently registered 111 relevant clans. Furthermore, crimes classified as clan crime are on the rise. Therefore, there are now calls for clan criminals who do not have German citizenship to be removed. It is hoped that this will have a deterrent effect and reduce the number of crimes in this area. Critics, on the other hand, think that clan crime should not be treated differently from other crimes. They argue that the decision to ban should be based solely on the seriousness of the offence and not on the milieu in which it took place.

After the great flood in NRW last year, the discussion about mandatory insurance against natural disasters is getting louder again. Proponents argue that owners are often unable to assess the risks to which their homes are exposed. Opponents, however, believe that everyone is responsible for their own insurance coverage and that people in risk areas should not be insured at the expense of those who do not live in risk areas.

Due to online trade, it is becoming increasingly difficult for retailers in the city centres to survive. Shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have also played their part in forcing many shops to close. As a result, city centres are becoming emptier and less attractive. To counteract this, some are in favour of subsidising the retail trade with state funds. Critics, on the other hand, consider the expenditure too high and reject such an intervention in the market.

Gendering means that one tries to explicitly name all genders in language use and thus integrate them. For example, by speaking of Studierende instead of Studenten, or of Professor*innen instead of Professoren. Often, universities have a guideline that explicitly recommends gendering. Advocates hope that this will have an effect on the equality of all genders in everyday life. Critics, however, doubt this effect and fear the negative treatment of students who do not want to gender.

The new Silk Road, an 11,000-kilometre-long train route that runs from China to Europe, ends in Duisburg. The city is therefore trying to specifically recruit Chinese companies. Supporters hope that this will boost the economy and fill the city's finances, among other things. Critics, however, argue that so far it is mainly the port that has benefited, while the city has hardly seen any positive effects.

If you buy a plot of land or part of a plot of land in Germany, for example an individual flat, you have to pay the so-called land transfer tax. In NRW it is currently 6.5% of the purchase price of a plot of land or part of a plot of land. Compared to other federal states, this is a lot. Some call for a reduction in the land transfer tax, arguing above all that a lower tax rate would make it easier to buy residential property. Others oppose a reduction and fear that it would lead to a significant, negative impact on the state budget, since the land transfer tax plays a central role in financing the state budget.

Article 7 of the NRW state constitution begins with the words "Reverence for God (...) is the noblest aim of education". Some parties are now demanding that this first part be deleted. They argue that it is hardly compatible with a multicultural society and negative religious freedom. Proponents of the reference to God, on the other hand, argue that it is important to mention God in the constitution because this is part of our Christian culture.

There is currently no minimum rent in the German rent system. Instead, each individual's pension is determined by the amount he or she pays in. Anyone who receives a rent on which he or she cannot live has the opportunity to check whether there is a claim to basic security benefits. Opponents of the basic rent often criticise the way in which the minimum pension is to be implemented. For example, some proposals provide for a minimum number of years of employment, others do not want to check whether pensioners depend on the money and pay the rent to everyone. Proponents, on the other hand, argue that the minimum rent is a means of social equalisation in an underfunded state pension system.

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