In May 2024, German Constitution celebrates its 75th birthday. As a guarantee for our civil rights, it is a cornerstone of democracy and is rightly honoured not only in Germany, but has also served as a model and blueprint for the constitutions of other countries for 75 years. Spain and Portugal, but also young democracies in Europe, South America and Asia have modelled their constitution on it. And yet, something is missing from the German Constitution: Children's rights!
The federal state of Hesse incorporated children's rights into the state constitution in 2018. After 89.1% of Hessians voted in favour in a referendum, parliament adopted the constitutional amendment. In February 2023, Hamburg followed suit and decided to include children's rights in the state constitution at the request of the parliamentary groups of SPD, CDU and Bündnis 90/Die Grünen. Since then, the preamble reads: "The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg respects, protects and promotes the rights of children."
Children's rights are also enshrined in the Austrian constitution.
When constitutional law experts argue that the German Constitution corresponds in its clarity to a Calvinist church building that gets by without frills, we as children's rights activists counter that without children's rights, the building lacks a cornerstone. And that is why, together with the National Coalition and the Campaign alliance "Children's rights in the Constitution", we are calling for the 75th anniversary: No party without children's rights!