In their book 'Kinder – Minderheit ohne Schutz' (Children – A minority without protection), nominated for the 2025 German Non-Fiction Prize, Aladin El‑Mafaalani, Sebastian Kurtenbach and Klaus Peter Strohmeier explore the widening gap between an ageing society and younger generations. Children’s and young people's interests, they argue, carry little political weight and remain inadequately protected. Klaus Peter Strohmeier sets out the case for granting children minority protection status in an interview with EESC Info.

Your book argues that children constitute a 'minority without protection' in an ageing society. Can you give some specific examples of how the current political and economic structures systematically disadvantage children? 

In our society, we witness a structural disregard for children and their families on a daily basis. Modern society is functionally differentiated and individualised. In an adult world geared towards efficiency and functionality, children are viewed as ‘disruptive factors’. 

This has created a demographic and democratic imbalance. Children are a demographic minority without political representation. They themselves have no right to vote, and their parents constitute only a minority among those eligible to vote. Some of them, moreover, have no citizenship and none of the rights that come with it. With half of the electorate being over 53, politics is primarily geared towards the status quo and the interests of older people.

This imbalance also has fiscal implications. A growing proportion of Germany’s federal budget is spent on subsidising pensions, which in turn diverts necessary investment funds away from future-oriented sectors such as education, climate protection and infrastructure.

The interests of children and young people carry no political weight. During the coronavirus pandemic, for example, children were hit hardest with the school closures, even though they had the lowest risk to their health. The introduction of compulsory military service is also currently being negotiated in Germany without consulting young people. 

You argue that parents cannot be trusted proxies for children, much like men historically failed to champion women's rights. Given that the electorate is aging rapidly, what concrete steps would you propose to ensure democracy truly includes the youth?

We propose a three-step approach that goes beyond simply lowering the voting age, with the aim of effectively involving children and young people in our ageing democracy. 

The first step is the establishment of ‘Future Councils’. These would have to be attached to every parliament and consulted prior to political decisions to promote future-oriented policies. A further step is the introduction of a so-called ‘generational clause’, whereby every fundamental political decision must be transparently assessed for its consequences for future generations. A final step is to strengthen local participation. Children and young people should be consulted in their immediate environments, such as their neighbourhoods or schools, and be given genuine opportunities to be heard and to have a say.

You propose introducing formal minority protection status for children. Beyond symbolic recognition, what legal or institutional mechanisms would this entail? How would such protections change decision-making in areas like budget allocation, urban planning, or education policy?

A legal minority protection status for children would go beyond symbolic recognition and the appointment of powerless 'Children's Advocates'. The explicit inclusion of children’s rights in the basic law, for example, would provide judges and politicians with clear legal guidance when weighing up different interests, much like the enshrined equality of women.

In terms of participation in legal proceedings, minority rights could create a legally binding substantive dimension that makes the protection of educational opportunities and natural resources enforceable. 

Protection for minorities would also make it possible to exert a binding influence on the allocation of resources. Through this, resources relevant to the future, such as investment in education, would have to be treated as a priority, rather than being lost in the battle for resources with the older generations. 

Introducing minority protections would be a structural reform, but we have seen that social change also requires a shift in attitudes. What do you see as the most effective ways to build intergenerational solidarity?

Children need adults who care about them; the more, the better. Solidarity between generations cannot grow solely through legislation; it emerges and flourishes through interaction and social relationships. The key here is to mobilise existing potential and create new opportunities.

One idea would be to engage the baby boomer generation. This generation had an exceptionally high birth rate, which could make several experienced adults available as a ‘resource’ for each child. The baby boomer generation possesses enormous social and professional skills, as well as education, good health and time. They can be recruited as personal mentors or mentors for children in childcare centres and schools. Government agencies could, for example, provide targeted information on volunteering opportunities upon retirement and create incentives such as tax-free fees or vouchers. By placing the needs of children at the centre in this way, demographic ageing can become an opportunity.

Another possibility would be the large-scale expansion of community centres in neighbourhoods. Through this, schools and nurseries can become multifunctional hubs within the neighbourhood and the local community, where young and old, children, parents, grandparents and neighbours can meet and support one another. Former professionals from trades or the cultural sector could use their skills to get involved in schools and childcare centres. Children need adults to thrive and develop healthily. The more of them there are, the better it is for the children and for our society.

Klaus Peter Strohmeier, born in 1948, is a sociologist and Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the Ruhr University Bochum. He is one of the co-authors of 'Kinder – Minderheit ohne Schutz' (Children – A minority without protection).