0:2 Against Germany’s Citizens
While Germany watches the FIFA World Cup, the Bundestag is deciding on legislation that will directly affect millions of citizens: higher health insurance costs, increased co-payments, biometric passport data in private hands, expanded powers for security agencies and restricted access to legal challenges. This does not prove a deliberate attempt to hide the legislation - but it does reveal a democratic problem: far-reaching decisions are being pushed through after exceptionally short consultation periods, during a week when public attention is focused almost entirely elsewhere.