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High school graduate Caspar Höfener: A day with the Minister of Economics Tonne!
Caspar Höfener from Varrel accompanies Economics Minister Tonne and discovers politics up close during an exciting day in Hanover.
High school graduate Caspar Höfener: A day with the Minister of Economics Tonne!
An exciting day for Varrel high school graduate Caspar Höfener: He had the unique opportunity to accompany Lower Saxony's Economics Minister Grant Hendrik Tonne for a day. For him it was not just about taking a look behind the scenes of state politics, but also about experiencing very current political issues. This exclusive insight offers not only a personal but also a succinct perspective on the challenges facing the state government.
In his role as a companion, Höfener took part in a meeting of the state parliament where important topics were discussed. These included the defense against spy drones, the problem of migration and the threat to the Wadden Sea world natural heritage site. What was particularly exciting for Höfener was the observation that the government factions stick together in the face of attacks from the opposition, while there is often a lack of interest in the opposition's contributions to the debate, as kreiszeitung.de reports.
A personal meeting with high politics
Another highlight was Höfener's brief meeting with former Prime Minister Stephan Weil during a coffee break - a moment that will certainly remain in his memory for a long time. The discussions that Minister Tonne had with Colombian representatives about recruiting skilled workers also testify to the international dimensions and the current economic challenges that are being negotiated in the ministry, as bundeswirtschaftsministerium.de shows.
Höfener felt the pressure and the multitude of tasks that the ministry is responsible for. After his day in the ministry, the young high school graduate, who is interested in German and European history of the 20th century, said that politicians do differentiated and serious work away from the media. This realization will certainly shape his view of the political landscape.
Looking into the future
The day ended for Höfener with participation in the ceremony for the 75th anniversary of the VEA association in the New Town Hall in Hanover, where Tonne gave the celebratory speech. Even though Höfener initially planned to do a year of “work and travel” in Australia after graduating from high school, he is seriously considering joining the youth organization of a centrist political party. “In order to make politics more interesting for young people, new media should be used more,” said Höfener thoughtfully.
He also criticized the way the AfD uses modern media to gain influence on the younger generation. Höfener emphasizes the need to challenge and convince the politically polarizing forces with better arguments. Ultimately, it is up to the next generation to be able to actively shape political discussions - perhaps especially by addressing and involving young voices.
The state government under Prime Minister Olaf Lies (SPD) has a lot on the table in these times. Together with a large number of ministers, including Grant Hendrik Tonne, their goal is to tackle the diverse challenges of Dutch politics in a targeted manner, while not forgetting the young people of the future, as niedersachsen.de mentions.