Macht braucht Kontrolle

Captivating report on the inexorable decline of our party democracy
The "political class" shapes the rules that are supposed to rein them in, often in their own interests. The parties are usually less concerned with solving problems than with securing their interests in power, posts and income. The danger of abuse becomes most obvious when the parties determine their own status. This has consequences at all levels: for the selection of political personnel as well as for the quality of politics. The gap between democracy and reality is growing and political unease is spreading.

For over 40 years, Hans Herbert von Arnim, the feared constitutional law expert known as the "party critic", has uncovered numerous cases of abuse of power and many impossible party laws on his own behalf. And he had resounding success: Dietary allowance increases had to be withdrawn, excessive pension regulations reduced to a reasonable level, multiple emoluments curtailed, the self-service system curtailed.He overturned the blocking clauses in European elections before the Federal Constitutional Court, and his articles contributed to the parliamentary allowance and party funding judgements. Thanks to Arnim and an awakened public, attempts at abuse - at federal and state level as well as in the EU - met with outraged resistance. However, over the years, the "political class" became increasingly sophisticated in allowing controls to come to nothing and even pushed through obviously abusive laws.

Hans Herbert von Arnim now traces the causes of this fatal development and shows how it came about and why the public has become tired of effectively opposing this extremely effective appropriation of power by the parties He puts his finger in the wound, reveals what is lacking - and how the necessary controls can be put in place.