Thorsten Berg in conversation: Family friendliness is the key to Oberhausen!

Thorsten Berg in conversation: Family friendliness is the key to Oberhausen!

On September 21, 2025, one of the exciting days in Oberhausen's political calendar, interested citizens will gather at the Gdanska restaurant on the Altmarkt. Thorsten Berg, the SPD mayoral candidate, invites you to his next talk, following on from the previous series “Thorsten's Talk in the Tower”, which has met with great interest. These events at the main train station gave citizens the opportunity to actively participate in political life and express their opinions. The talk is moderated by Silke Wilts and the topic revolves around the importance of family friendliness in cities.

The importance of family friendliness is particularly important to Thorsten Berg. The candidate makes it clear that he wants to work for an Oberhausen that meets the needs of its citizens. He sees great potential and wants to promote a strong community, while at the same time recognizing the challenges that exist. On his website he invites citizens to share ideas and suggestions via a contact form in order to find solutions together for a socially and economically strong Oberhausen Thorsten Berg's website reported.

A prominent guest and successful role models

A guest at Thorsten's Talk is Marc Herter, the mayor of Hamm, who was elected with an impressive 63.6 percent of the vote in the first round. His experiences and perspectives will certainly provide valuable suggestions. The discussion about family-friendliness in cities is essential today, especially since the proportion of women in municipal representation is only 27.7 percent and elected officials are often underrepresented in the family phase. This topic is illuminated by the EAF Berlin study “With Children in Politics,” which shows how decision-makers are often pushed out of politics by family-unfriendly structures and high demands this is what the EAF Berlin reported.

The study highlights that many women quickly leave politics due to excessive demands, the sheer number of hours they have to work and little pay. In order to change this, family-friendly structures and networks of elected officials are necessary. These could, for example, promote child care regulations in municipalities and family-friendly meeting designs. It is important to bring all actors together: elected officials, parties, administration and citizens.

An open format for everyone

Thorsten Berg is open to politics that listens and takes action - in keeping with his vision for Oberhausen. His now proven format of talks is intended to provide space for dialogue and exchange. Admission to this event is free and is aimed at anyone who is interested in actively shaping their city.

The next talk will take place on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. in the Gdanska restaurant. The mayoral candidate cordially invites all interested parties to become part of the discussion and to contribute their voices to the political processes.