You could see it hundreds of meters away. Their demand was written in large white and hung over the bridge: Political shift now – family first! The young activists of the action group “Familie geht vor!” leaned over the railing and hung the banner in the wind. On June 28, the picturesque Bavarian city Würzburg was all about family.
Do we need a policy shift for the family?
In Germany the corona crisis has revealed a profound truth: Without the families’ unpaid Herculean task, the state would be lost. The family is the most important institution in every society and every political system. But in the last years many politicians have ignored the family or even damaged it:
“The family is being driven further and further into a corner. Financially, families are burdened with taxes and massively disadvantaged in the social security system. At the same time, the parenting skills of mothers and fathers are hardly recognized. And we see that marriage and family are being arbitrarily redefined. Our children are indoctrinated with gender ideology in schools and daycare centers. They are exposed to ‘diversity’ through shameful sex education. That is why we are protesting“, explains Hedwig von Beverfoerde, spokeswoman of „Familie geht vor!”
Taking the streets for the family
The action group „Familie geht vor!“ was founded by 20 family organizations and individuals in early 2020. The founders originally wanted to organize Germany’s first family manifestation on June 28 in the Bavarian city Würzburg. But due to the coronavirus restrictions the manifestation was postponed to May 2021.
But the action group set up an online manifestation and collected over 22.000 votes for its demands. In addition the group wanted to send a signal to the politicians. That is why several young activists travelled to Würzburg, took the streets, distributed flyers, let balloons fly and dropped a huge banner on the Ludwigsbrücke.
In-depth roundtable discussion about family politics
Furthermore the group brought four family experts, who spoke together at a roundtable discussion on family politics. Gabriele Kuby, Andrea Heck, Romy Richter and Alexander Bischoff talked about the outstanding importance of the family in the coronavirus lockdown, the importance of fatherhood, the problems of the daycare industry, the loss of a parenting culture and several other current family topics.
The street action as well as the roundtable discussion clearly showed: It is of utmost importance to bring the family and its needs back into public debate. It is absolutely necessary to remind politicians: Family first!
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