Lena Anzenhofer
Spokeswoman
"For me, political participation begins with awareness of one's own actions. That's why many more young people need to be represented in parliaments: taking responsibility for society means taking responsibility for yourself - and vice versa."
When I was 21 years old, I talked to an acquaintance of about the same age about his work as a council member. He couldn't understand why many more young people didn't get excited about politics, he said: "You can shape so many things."
The conversation kept me busy for days afterward. A short time later, I joined the Junge Union, then the CDU, in Göttingen, the city where I studied. And I also discovered my passion for political work in all its facets.
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After graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics, I went to the Axel Springer Academy, where I wrote for the German Business Insider. Since February 2021, I've been working for the German Association of the Automotive Industry in digital communications and am doing an MBA in digital marketing.
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Today I know what my acquaintance meant a good five years ago. That's why I find the Youth Parliament initiative as compelling as it is important - and it's a bit of a shame I didn't talk to him earlier.