Germany's Liberal Democracy Faces Crisis Amid Declining Civic Engagement and Moral Challenges
Germany's liberal democracy grapples with a philosophical crisis and declining petition participation, signaling challenges in moral foundations and civic engagement.
- • Liberalism in Germany faces existential challenges and a crisis of meaning as traditional values erode.
- • Digitalization and consumption culture contribute to societal disorientation and weakened democratic engagement.
- • Petition submissions and support dropped significantly in 2024, indicating eroding trust in the Bundestag.
- • Successful petition campaigns demonstrate potential for revitalizing democracy through enhanced citizen participation.
Key details
Germany's liberal democracy is experiencing a multifaceted crisis characterized by an existential questioning of liberalism's philosophical foundations and a notable decline in citizen participation through democratic tools like petitions.
Philosophically, liberal democracy is challenged by what the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche called the 'last man' — a society characterized by comfort and lack of passion. According to an analysis from Internationale Politik, liberalism's promise of freedom and self-determination now contends with a crisis of meaning and authority as moral questions are neglected and traditional values erode. This erosion has led to moral relativism, societal disorientation, and a paradox where freedom fosters calls for new forms of authority. Digitalization, transforming freedom into consumption, aggravates the problem by engendering a 'tired society' lacking in genuine engagement. The relationship between economic stability and the preservation of liberal freedoms also highlights the risk of people turning towards populist or authoritarian solutions amid fears of decline (Source 102087).
Concurrently, democratic engagement in Germany is facing practical challenges. In 2024, the number of petitions submitted to the Bundestag dropped by 18.84% to 9,260, and support for these petitions fell by over 50%, with only 722,639 recorded supports compared to the previous year. This sharp decline reveals decreasing trust in the Bundestag’s ability to respond effectively to citizens' concerns. The Bundestag and the Green Party recognize the urgent need to revitalize democratic participation by enhancing the petitions process—proposals include lowering signature thresholds and enabling highly supported petitions to be debated publicly in the plenary session to foster greater transparency. A recent successful example demonstrates the positive impact petitions can have: a campaign for maternity protection after miscarriages led to a law passed in January 2025 that instituted staggered maternity leave for women who experience miscarriages after the 13th week of pregnancy (Source 102091).
Together, these insights paint a complex picture: Germany's liberal democracy faces both a deep philosophical crisis and an urgent need to rebuild trust and civic participation. Without addressing the moral and existential underpinnings of liberalism and strengthening democratic engagement mechanisms, the risk remains that democratic institutions might become hollow, and public support might further erode.