Welcome to Neukölln
Dear Visitor,
My name is Hakan Demir. I grew up in a working-class family. Like so many others, my grandfather came to Germany as a guest worker. He spent years working construction in order to enable his family a better future. My grandfather was always grateful to be a part of this society, and so am I.
I stand for a Neukölln community that is caring and united in solidarity – from Rudow to Rixdorf. 2021 is a year of threefold elections: federal, state and municipal. I am honored to be joining Franziska Giffey and Martin Hikel in campaigning for the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and proud to be running for a seat to represent Neukölln in the German Bundestag. And, above all, I look forward to meeting you. Do reach out to me with your questions, ideas, or concerns.
Hakan Demir
STRONG WELFARE STATE
We must fight inequality in our country. An important part of that is renouncing Hartz IV welfare provisions and introducing a basic pension scheme. But there is a lot more we need to do: Housing is not a commodity – it’s a human right. We will only have affordable housing in the long-run, if we invest in not-for-profit construction and strengthen the rights of tenants. We will only achieve equal pay between women and men, if we pass an equal-pay law and give so-called frontline workers the compensation they deserve.
This is about our fellow citizens who work as nurses or delivery drivers, who sit behind cashiers or take care of our children. They earn too little money and risk poverty in old age. Their work must be recognized and remunerated: I advocate for a higher minimum wage, for strong collective bargaining agreements, and a 30-hour work-week that leaves more time for our families.
EDUCATIONAL EQUITY
Educational outcomes still depend heavily on family background. I want to ensure that all children, irrespective of their background, have access to excellent education. I support strengthening community schools (Gemeinschaftsschulen) that allow all children to learn together and expanding full-day-schooling. Youth work needs to be strengthened and children should be taught civics and citizenship early on in schools. In order to prevent extremism, I am advocating at the state and federal level for a Democracy Promotion Law. Hate and misinformation need to be countered. We stand for solidarity. That’s why I believe the right-wing attacks we’ve been confronted with in Neukölln for years must be subject to proper investigation and wider political debate.
SOCIAL CLIMATE POLICY
Environmental policy is social policy. Our daily lives should be climate neutral and environmentally responsible.
To achieve that goal, Berlin needs an efficient and fast transport network and affordable public transport. Part of that is extending the U7 subway to BER airport, which I advocate for.
