Political mandate – Filzmaier analyses: voting at 16 is not enough

In 2007, Austria became the first country in the world to lower the voting age to 16. But what do we not have that Liberia, Moldova and East Timor have? A youth service. This is sad for political education work. Unfortunately, the value of adult democracy learning is even lower.

Voting at age 16 is neither the salvation nor the ruin of a democracy. No state is not automatically more or less democratic because you can vote from the age of 16 or 18.

But politics means making decisions that regulate our coexistence. This states how long you have to go to school and which subjects are taught there. Or laws and regulations from which alcohol consumption, moped riding and sex are allowed.

No youth policy department
It is not only here that young people should have a democratic say in elections. But will politicians still pay special attention after about 5,500 days of voting with 16 young people? no There is currently a youth policy department in the Federal Chancellery, which nobody in the public knows about. 13 people are responsible for all of Austria. The secretariat is already there.

Until 2017, Sophie Karmasin, accused of corruption and presumed innocent, headed a tiny ministry where the same department provoked its existence. Before that, youth skills were an appendix to the Ministry of Economy and Science. Youth officials have always been seen as a kind of challenge cup, moved and exchanged like chess pieces during coalition negotiations between ministries.

Despite the fact that we voted at the age of 16, no politician from any governing party – in the past 15 years these have been the SPÖ, ÖVP, FPÖ and the Greens – should convince us that political education is ever importance in youth work. But isn’t that a matter for the schools? That question is the problem. One should not ignore the open youth work on the street, in social institutions and clubs, nor the adults.

In April 2022, Minister Martin Polaschek announced a focus on democracy in the education department responsible for school lessons. That has not happened since the voting age was lowered in 2007. The then-democratic initiative died a quick death with the end of the red-black coalition in 2008.

The Minister of Education sees himself – formally and rightly – not responsible for young people outside of school. That is a pity, because youth clubs or on sports fields often convey more democratic or non-democratic attitudes than in every school lesson. Moreover, it is not the students who show the most interest in politics, but especially the 20 to 29-year-olds who turn away from politics and democracy.

Political education cares little about these twenty-somethings. The catch is that no one in this age group really feels responsible for learning about democracy. During his tenure, when did Polaschek ever say anything about what his only ten or so adult educators actually do in the field of political education?

taboo topic
It is almost taboo for all politicians to say honestly that adults need more political education into old age. Democracy is not limited to teenagers, it is lifelong learning. Therefore, political education programs similar to schools for young and old adults between the ages of 19 and 99 should not be left behind as a stepchild in the Austrian educational landscape. However, the corresponding supply of the Land and the Lands is small in numbers and budget.

It would also be important to bring together young and older people living in Austria. Democratic events are often attended by school classes or a group of older adults. How many projects are there that target both young people under 30 and over 50? We need much more intergenerational dialogue, especially when it comes to politics.

Finally, a self-observation experiment is recommended to all government officials, all parties, the social partners and also us in the media: can we talk for more than ten minutes about political education without addressing any school aspect? Then it may finally be possible to include all areas of education. If not, the birthday of votes on 16 is nothing but a little blah blah blah about schools and students.