Bavarian Youth in Berlin: Fear of splitting society

At the first Bavarian Youth Day in Berlin, 14- to 18-year-olds from Bavaria talk about the climate, housing shortages and extremism. They demand less polarisation in social networks and more participation for young people. 40 young people from Bavaria travelled to Berlin for four days to talk to politicians about their future. At the first "Bavarian Youth Day", the 14- to 18-year-olds were able to address their demands.

One topic is particularly important to the young Bavarians: the division of society. Four days of politics in the capital Lena Schreglmann from Mintraching feels that the concerns of young people are not always taken seriously. She wants to make the most of her time in Berlin: "In any case, I expect politicians to talk more to us, to the youth, and to implement our expectations." BJR: "Young people want to get involved." The campaign is organised by the Bavarian Youth Ring (BJR). In addition to thematic workshops, the young people also talk to representatives from politics.

BJR President Philipp Seitz emphasises: "Youth Day in Berlin shows that young people are interested in politics, that they want to get involved and that they have strong opinions on topics." Philipp Seitz is therefore campaigning for youth participation to be enshrined in law. Climate protection important to the youth Lea Marie Mayer from Schwandorf has decided to talk about climate protection in Berlin: "I think it is a very important topic. Attention to the topic has shrunk, but the problem has not diminished." The current Sinus Youth Study also shows that climate change still employs young people strongly. In addition to the climate, the young people are also concerned, for example, with the topics of affordable housing, how the pension will look like in 50 years' time, or artificial intelligence (AI): "It seems to me that we are all no longer really thinking, and AI is really taking over," Lena Schreglmann thinks about AI.

On the political mood: "No longer a political centre" But nothing preoccupies the young as much as the political mood in the country. Lea Marie Mayer observes that society is increasingly divided: "It is a big problem that you no longer have a political centre and the parties can no longer agree." Studies show that young women and young men in particular are drifting apart politically: for women aged 18–24, the left was the most popular party in the 2025 federal election, and for men of the same age, the AfD. Polarization in social media These two parties are also particularly successful in social media. Studies on social media show that populist content in particular is spreading particularly quickly.

Lena Schreglmann also notices this. She says she is "really scared, from the left and from the right, but especially from the right." The reason: "There are also partly anti-democratic opinions from the right and that really scares me, because democracy is very, very important to me.“ Are the demands being heard? When the young people in Berlin were able to attend a debate in the plenary hall, Lea Marie Mayer noticed something: The Bundestag comes across as much more chaotic on social media: "I found it astonishing that it went so orderly." The visit to Berlin was also a highlight for Lena Schreglmann, but like the other young people, there was also a demand: "I expect politicians to do more with of the youth and also implement our expectations.“ That's the European perspective at BR24. "Here's Bavaria": The Br24 NEWSLETTER informs you about the most important things of the day at a glance – compactly and directly in your private mailbox – every Monday to Friday after work.

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09/25/2026 - 07:36