Sarah-Lee Heinrich celebrated a turbulent debut as the spokeswoman for the Green Youth.
But who is the 20-year-old at the head of the Green Youth Organization?
Berlin - youth organizations of parties have often made it their task to represent more radical positions than their respective party base.
Through constant scrutiny and criticism, they take on a kind of opposition role within their own party structure.
Because of this, and because of the influence that youth organizations have on their parties, the respective chairpersons are increasingly in the limelight.
But only rarely does a person within a youth organization make such waves as Sarah-Lee Heinrich, who was elected spokeswoman for the Green Youth at the weekend.
The 20-year-old got caught in the political crossfire shortly after her election due to several tweets she published years ago.
But who is the new chairman of the Green Youth and what does she stand for?
Sarah-Lee Heinrich: New spokeswoman for the Green Youth grew up in poor circumstances
The focus of Heinrich's political commitment is certainly the commitment to social justice and equal opportunities.
An orientation that makes sense, especially when looking at the biography of the 20-year-olds.
Heinrich was born in 2001 in Iserlohn and grew up with her single mother, who is Hartz IV recipient.
The spokeswoman for the Green Youth experienced first hand what it means to grow up in poor conditions and to be discriminated against because of her social status.
Heinrich also experienced how difficult it can be to find a way out of poverty.
For Heinrich, the fact that she was able to go to high school and ultimately do her Abitur has a lot to do with happy circumstances.
"I got along well at school and with learning," said the then 19-year-old in an interview with
Focus Online
about a year ago
.
Her teachers also played a large part in the successful school career of the GJ spokeswoman: "You saw potential in me and with your help I even slipped into a student scholarship," says Heinrich.
A course that the 20-year-old would wish for more children from poor backgrounds.
Sarah-Lee Heinrich believes that everyone can achieve social advancement through hard work alone is wishful thinking.
Sarah-Lee Heinrich: Career of the GJ federal spokeswoman - from Hartz-IV to the university
The 20-year-old is now the first in her family to study social sciences at the University of Cologne and is also involved in the Green Youth.
A commitment that reached its premature climax with her election as federal spokeswoman at the weekend.
In her new position, Heinrich wants to stand up for the very issues that she experienced in her youth.
Social Justice and Equal Opportunities: Sarah-Lee Heinrich's Political Positions
For example, the 20-year-old criticized the Hartz IV additional income rule, which limits the additional income that children of Hartz IV recipients can earn through part-time jobs, and advocates basic child benefits.
The latter was also an important point in the party program of the Greens for the federal election in 2021. "Children shouldn't have to work their way out of poverty," Heinrich told
Focus Online.
The beginning of Sarah-Lee Heinrich's tenure as spokeswoman for the Green Youth is now under a very bad star.
The focus is on debates about Heinrich's person and statements and distracts from the content-related issues that the 20-year-old actually wanted to argue about.
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