I'm living much less under a rock these days than I'd like. Because, well. Things going on in the world and so on.

So. In case it has passed you by (for instance because you live abroad, and don't get German-centric news): The CDU (the "black party") has made a "Kleine Anfrage" which is basically an information request. That is their right, and it's a perfectly normal thing to do if you want to know something, or get some current numbers.

However... the way that they worded it, and the things they ask, it reeks of trying to intimidate a number of organisations that were active in the protests against the CDU vote together with the AfD. It's basically a thinly veiled threat of "we will cut your funding and discredit you because you did this". 

There's a few things about this. Once, that's just not how you do things. Apart from the fact that any democratic party should be happy about people rising up to defend the democratic system, making a sort of roundhouse kick like this (which will get a lot of people working in the offices quite busy) and not even researching the individual organisations a bit on whether they are actually considered as "gemeinnützig" or not... well. 

Discrediting networks that are doing research to help with renewable resources, sustainable farming, reducing food waste, animal rights, the protection of the environment, and educating people about right-wing extremism? That sounds like they are using the opportunity to try and get rid of everyone and everything that is criticising them for stuff that, yes, the black-led government or the governments with high black involvement have done.

Which means that quite a lot of people are now pissed, and the black party has not done anything to improve their image (which wasn't too good from the start if your viewpoints include anything like gender equality or social justice or environmental concerns). 

The good news: In contrast to what the Kleine Anfrage implies, a lot of the organisations listed don't actually get any money from the state. So they can't cut their funding. 

The other good news: We now have a handy list of organisations to support. So if you're curious, or if you would like to, say, send the equivalent of a coffee to one of them each month... here you go. 


Always remember: Every little bit helps. Or, as it was once said during the pre-election campaigns here: Democracy is not a spectator sport.