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Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht: Your draft law on children's rights had been in place for a long time
Photo: Kay Nietfeld / dpa
According to the will of the governing coalition, the rights of children should soon be expressly anchored in the Basic Law.
According to Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht, the Union and the SPD have agreed on this.
"After a long struggle, we have now found a formulation that is acceptable to both sides," said the SPD politician in the evening.
The next steps must now follow quickly so that the amendment to the Basic Law can be completed during this legislative period.
According to information from the ARD capital studio, an extension of Article 6 of the constitution, in which the relationship between parents, children and the state is regulated, is planned to include the following formulation: »The constitutional rights of children, including their right to develop into independent personalities, must be respected and protect.
The best interests of the child must be given due consideration.
The constitutional right of children to be heard must be upheld.
The parents' primary responsibility remains unaffected. "
Union politicians fear excessive interference by the state in families
In their coalition agreement, the Union and the SPD agreed to include the rights of children in the Basic Law.
A corresponding bill by Lambrecht had long been available.
The Union had rejected this as too extensive.
Politicians from the CDU and CSU had expressed fears that the state would intervene too strongly in families.
According to the ARD report, a coalition working group had already agreed on the new formulation before Christmas.
In government circles, the dpa news agency was confirmed that there should be a final meeting of the responsible politicians on Tuesday.
Lambrecht said she was pleased that the Union parliamentary group was now clearly committed to anchoring children's rights in the Basic Law.
But the project is not yet certain.
In order to change the constitution, two-thirds majorities in the Bundestag and Bundesrat are required, including the approval of opposition parties.
The Greens and the Left had already made it clear that they insist on strong formulations in the constitution in favor of children.
The FDP, on the other hand, expressed similar concerns as the Union.
Child protection associations have been calling for the inclusion of children's rights in the Basic Law for years.
The proponents argue that the constitution would give the concerns of children a whole new weight and should always be taken into account, for example in legislation or in practical terms when planning whether a playground or a gas station should or should be built in a location whether a bypass will be built around a housing estate.
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