She sits in the district council, is the spokeswoman for the Green Youth and is active on the district board. From May Gina Merkl also wants to help shape the fortunes of the city of Fürstenfeldbruck. Because she was elected to the now seven-member faction of the Greens.
Fürstenfeldbruck - the 21-year-old brings experience, especially through her mandate as district councilor. It can therefore be expected that Gina Merkl will also speak in the city council after the local elections. "To be quiet because new, young and female, we don't have that," says the political science student confidently.
A very strong idealism brought her to politics. "I was young and wanted to save the world," says Gina Merkl and laughs. With the Greens, she found a platform for her ideas. She joined at the age of 16, worked for one year with the Green Youth in Bavaria and then in the district association. Because in Tegernbach, where her parents still live today, there were hardly any channels to get involved in major politics. Merkl co-founded the North-West branch - in the area of VG Mammendorf - but left it in 2019 when she moved to Fürstenfeldbruck. This in turn pleased the local branch there, which they immediately recruited for the city council elections. "In the district you determine things that are a little further away," says the 21-year-old. "I want to make a difference locally."
Environment is a big concern
Merkl primarily thinks about the topic of asylum. She taught refugees in the accommodation in the old agricultural school in German for several years. Integration is important, she says. And as a green, the environment is of course very important to her. "I am a country child and was allowed to be one of the children who were still in the forest all day."
Since she attended the Viscardi high school in Fürstenfeldbruck and also had her friends there, she knows that the city still needs recreation areas. She also notices this when walking with her Swiss shepherd. And digitization must also be promoted, whether through online citizen participation or through a digital infrastructure.
Band project started
And also when it comes to culture - one of her priorities in the district parliament - she has ideas. Especially since she likes to make music herself and has started a band project with two friends. It will be shown how much time remains for this in the group.
Merkl is already preparing with the parliamentary group for her entry into the city council - through conference calls and emails. The previous parliamentary group members would support the newcomers well, says Merkl. Whereby she suspects how it will be. "Because of the district mandate, I know what to expect."
Now that the Greens are the third strongest faction, she hopes that their issues will become more important. With three committee seats, one could speak more and bring in specialist knowledge. "I hope that the tone will be a little nicer and more respectful," she says. Otherwise you could not work together properly and end the standstill. "We have to get ahead."
