German Associations, Unions, and Media Landscape
German Associations and Societies
Constitutional Basis: Article 9
Bonn Basic Law Article 9 constitutionalizes these groupings: “All Germans have the right to form associations and societies (…). The right to form associations to safeguard and improve economic and working conditions is guaranteed to every person and every profession. Agreements aiming to restrict or prevent this right shall be void; measures taken to this end are illegal.”
Key Business Associations
Business associations are concentrated in the Federal Association of German Industries (BDI), representing the interests of industrial companies, and the Confederation of German Employers’ Associations (BDA), representing the interests of employers.
Trade Unions in Germany
History and Post-War Structure
Although German unions did not fully develop until the late nineteenth century, after Bismarck’s anti-socialist laws were repealed (1890), they were very active throughout the century in anticipation of the work later developed by left-wing parties. Hence, when workers’ political organizations were linked in the late nineteenth century, unions were closely tied to parties. Following the dismantling of workers’ organizations under the Nazis, their rearticulation after 1949 took a different path, initiating the separation between parties and unions, despite the political harmony that might exist.
Major Union Organizations
In 1949, the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) was created, uniting German unions. The DGB is politically and financially independent of the parties, while maintaining personal links with the Social Democratic Party (SPD), since over 80% of senior union officials belong to that party. The organization, representing nearly 9 million workers within the DGB, is structured by industry. Outside the Confederation, there are three main trade unions:
- The German Salaried Employees’ Union (DAG), with over 500,000 members, which includes flight controllers, psychologists, soccer coaches, artists, and workers in the media.
- The German Civil Service Federation (DBB), with over 1,000,000 members working in government.
- The Christian Trade Union Federation of Germany (CGB), with 300,000 members organized into fifteen branches.
Collective Bargaining Dynamics
Since 1949, collective bargaining takes place between the different branches of trade unions and employers, without government intervention in the determination. However, the ability of stakeholders to influence ministries, the Länder (states), or the Bundestag creates a different dynamic. The state must navigate this complex network of social relations, where traditional focal points (unions and parties) are less dominant, and the central nodes are redefined. Political decisions are often made after consulting members of associations with an interest in the specific matter in question. The same applies to the delivery of certain social services, increasingly handled by private associations with public financial support.
Media’s Role in German Politics
The media are increasingly relevant for understanding a political system. The link between liberal democracy and public opinion gives a privileged place to the possibility of building this public sphere. If, at the beginning of liberalism, this public sphere existed in forums associated with restricted suffrage (cafes and salons, for example), it is currently necessarily constructed in the media. To some extent, the role once played by a union or political party is now often filled by a media outlet.
Characteristics of German Media
Media in Germany are characterized by:
- The existence of rigorous daily and weekly press, although mass-circulation tabloid media also exist.
- Public radio and television stations, at both federal and state (Länder) levels, which are pluralistic and cover political and cultural content.
- Geographical decentralization of the media.
- The availability of multichannel private radio and television, where political pluralism is also respected.
German Press Landscape
Despite the variety of daily and weekly newspapers, five large publishing groups control 41.8% of the market, with the largest-selling daily being the tabloid Bild-Zeitung. Regional press circulation is larger than national newspapers, but the latter often set the opinion agenda. Some German newspapers are considered among the highest quality in Europe.