Democracy Trainers Hit German Schools and Town Halls as Court Relaxes Works Council Election Rules

Forty professionals from North Rhine-Westphalia have graduated as certified democracy fitness trainers following a three-day workshop in Langenfeld. The qualification, sponsored by Democracy Fitness, the Heinrich Böll Foundation NRW, the association Mehr Demokratie and the state’s political education agency, aims to embed democratic processes in daily work life. Five of the newly certified trainers come directly from the Langenfeld area.

The initiative is one of several projects across Germany seeking to strengthen democratic competence in workplaces, schools and local government. In Rhineland-Palatinate, the “Landtag goes Berufsschule” program has produced measurable results since its launch in 2022. An evaluation by the University of Mainz found that trust in participants’ own political influence increased and populist reservations declined after 16 vocational schools were visited and nearly 9,000 students reached through roughly 500 workshops. The program, funded with €150,000, did not, however, produce significant changes in prejudice based on nationality or sexual orientation.

A similar effort run by the Oldenburg police directorate, “110 Stimmen für unsere Zukunft,” attracted more than 600 students aged 15 to 17 between June 16 and 25 last year. Interactive workshops gave them direct contact with legislators, administrators and judges and taught them how to identify disinformation.

While these civic-education programs expand, the Federal Labor Court (BAG) has weighed in on workplace democracy itself. In a ruling dated September 24, 2025 (Az. 7 ABR 24/24), the court decided that an invitation to a works assembly written only in German is legally sufficient when organizing works council elections. No obligation exists to translate such invitations into other languages, the judges held.

The BAG also confirmed that a works council election committee can be appointed by a court order when legal requirements are met. The court emphasised that the overriding goal remains the highest possible participation of the workforce. In the specific case before it, the judges deemed a ballot scheduled for 2:00 p.m. as reasonable timing.

Municipal planning is the next frontier for democratic training. The Saxon Energy Agency (SAENA) has announced a free training series for mayors and local administrative staff. Titled “Participation, Communication and Conflict Competence for Wind Energy and Ground-Mounted PV,” the workshops will run from September through December 1, with five sessions in Dresden. Participants will learn strategies for moderating planning processes, building public acceptance of local energy projects and addressing conflicts early and professionally.

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