Three questions for... Eric Wrasse

Eric Wrasse, representative of the project “Weltoffenes Thüringen” and educational director at the European Youth Education and Meeting Centre in Weimar (EJBW)

Mr. Wrasse, your alliance “Weltoffenes Thüringen”, made up of civil society, businesses and churches, was launched in early 2024 out of concern for democracy in your state. What has happened since then, and how do you plan to continue after the state elections in the fall of 2024?

“Weltoffenes Thüringen” Is the largest and most broad-based civil society alliance in Germany – and that in itself is a major success. I’m very pleased that more than 4,000 organizations – and just as many individuals – have publicly spoken out for our values. That includes more than 1,500 companies, ranging from small artisan businesses to large corporations like Jenoptik and Opel. They’ve all raised their voices. That’s been an incredibly important step. Since then, a wide-reaching and increasingly tight-knit network has emerged. People who used to feel like they were solitary fighters in their communities have now seen that they’re not alone. Others who had never been involved in civil society before have started to participate actively. Lots of local groups have sprung up, meeting regularly to develop strategies and take action. The “Weltoffenes Thüringen”  logo is visible all across the state – on websites, in email signatures, on social media, and on buildings. There’s even a tram in Jena that is fully wrapped in the campaign design. New connections have formed between people committed to democracy in cities and in rural areas. 

How would you assess the state of democratic civil society in Thuringia? Are you aware of attacks on members of your alliance?

Civil society in Thuringia has received strong support – particularly over the last 10 years under the Ramelow government, but also earlier under the CDU. There’s a state program for democracy, tolerance, and openness that also had the backing of the CDU. Netzwerk Demokratiebildung – the democracy education network in Thuringia – is funded by the state. Support is provided for the development of structures for migrant organizations, and we have a Queer Center in Erfurt, for example. Volunteer work in the region depends on these full-time structures and project infrastructure to be truly effective. So overall, civil society is strong – despite some setbacks, like delays in passing state budgets in recent years. But the future is very uncertain. Even the state program I just mentioned could be on the chopping block – and that would be a disaster.
There are attacks on actively engaged individuals happening all over Thuringia. The victim support group ezra has the data to prove that these incidents are on the increase. In the context of “Weltoffenes Thüringen”, too, banners have regularly been vandalized. One person who recorded a video statement for the alliance was personally threatened. That’s the sad reality.

In late February, a parliamentary question from the CDU/CSU on the political neutrality of state-funded organizations caused a national stir – and was met with sharp criticism from NGOs, foundations, and academics. In Thuringia, you’ve been seeing similar questions from the AfD for quite some time. What impact do they have on the work of your partners and other committed individuals on the ground?

These kinds of questions are devastating and extremely dangerous – no democratic party should be taking part in them. We already addressed this issue back in 2019 with our “Weimar Declaration on Democratic Education Work.” It was published online and supported by hundreds of organizations. Its core statement is: “Democracy is not a value-free endeavor.” Of course civil society should and must take a clear stand – not for individual political parties, but in favor of democracy and human rights, and against right-wing extremism and any developments that support it, such as joint votes or deals between democratic and far-right parties. A resilient democracy depends on a values-driven civil society that’s willing to speak out. In Thuringia, the AfD – officially classified as a right-wing extremist party – has repeatedly used the “neutrality” issue to intimidate civil society actors and block critical engagement with its nationalist ideology. The goal is to silence civil society. People on the ground are feeling uncertain – and their work is being hindered not just by far-right violence but also by this type of political maneuver. In the end, this plays right into the hands of the extreme right – which wants to replace our democratic, pluralistic civil society with far-right, ideologically streamlined organizations. Hungary offers a clear example of where that can lead.

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