The book „Wir machen das schon – Lausitz im Wandel“ ("We'll Make It It - Lusatia in Transition") portrays fifteen people who live, work and are involved in Lusatia. They talk about their experiences, their living environment, their projects and what they would like to see in Lusatia after structural change. These are very diverse stories from Saxony and Brandenburg, from Lower and Upper Lusatia, from men and women, from locals, returnees and newcomers. As different as the experiences, views and approaches of those portrayed may be, there is one question that unites them all: Where does Lusatia go after the phase-out of lignite mining, which will entail not only economic change, but also social and societal change?

This is something that people in Lusatia have experience with; after all, this is not the first structural change the region has undergone. The big difference from the economic and social upheavals after 1989/90 is that this time it really could be a change for which there is time and for which 17 billion euros have been set aside to deal with the consequences. That is why there is also room and time for questions: How do we want to live in twenty years? How can we involve the people who want to participate in the structural change? How do we use the funds to support new and innovative ideas and projects? How can we ensure that our children also have a prospects and stay in Lusatia?

The book, which was written as part of the project "Sozialer Strukturwandel und responsive Politikberatung un der Lausitz" (Social Structural Change and Responsive Policy Advice in Lusatia) at the Institute for Transformative Sustainability Research in Potsdam, aims to provide an impetus for discussing questions such as these. We took the book as an opportunity to talk to Franziska Schubert, a member of the Alliance 90/The Greens parliamentary group in the Görlitz district council and the Saxon state parliament, and a city councilor in Ebersbach/Neugersdorf, where she lives. She was born in Löbau, studied in Osnabrück and Budapest and did research at the University of Dresden on the development of border regions, urban and regional development and dealing with demographic change in Eastern Germany and Eastern Europe before returning to Upper Lusatia.

Franziska Schubert is one of the people portrayed in the book and is campaigning for more citizen participation in structural change. We talked to her about how this can succeed and what challenges there are in Upper Lusatia.

Christine Herntier, mayor of Spremberg, said: "Young people in particular must be addressed, otherwise the billions that have been set aside for structural change will be wasted." How can Upper Lusatia be made fit for grandchildren?

Young people should be seriously involved in decision-making processes. We should create formats that make them want to get involved. There are already various approaches, such as the "Lausitz mit Zukunft" (Lusatia with a Future) project, where Dresden schoolchildren have designed a model for more civic participation. We also need a children's and youth council that not only provides advice but also has voting rights. Unfortunately, far too little is happening at the moment. I also fear that ideas and projects outside the regional political mainstream, such as climate projects, are not exactly welcomed with open arms and are therefore not implemented at all.

In the book, you speak of an unhealthy opportunism and the lord-like behavior of political leaders. Is that the reason why civic engagement is steered in a certain direction from the outset or immediately dismissed?

The money for structural change is distributed through the municipalities and communities. They also report the projects or have already reported them in some cases. At the moment, it is not clear where citizens can have a direct impact. Expressing opinions and serious participation are two different things. There is a certain fear of transparency and participation. So far, decisions in the administration have been made according to the motto: too many cooks spoil the broth, we'll do it the way we see fit. That seems out of date. This gives many people the feeling that there's no point in getting involved, since their ideas won't be heard anyway. Decisions like this from the top lose trust and create resignation, because people don't feel that they are being taken seriously. This takes away the courage of young people to actively work for change. And in doing so, you lose people who could take on responsibility in the future.

What changes can be made?

One approach is to make it public. We would like to encourage people to use their public right to ask questions in city council and municipal meetings, as well as in county councils. Another idea would be to have a representative council, similar to juries in the United States. There, members are drawn by lot according to the cross-section of society. Why not establish such a council to be involved in decisions about projects for structural change? This is a good opportunity to try it out now. Apart from that, we need an exchange of opinions that goes beyond traditional structures, so that we can approach issues in a creative or playful way.

Why do the majority of people apparently not believe that a successful structural change can succeed?

Unfortunately, some of the thinking is still stuck in the 1970s and relies heavily on rural road construction, or streets. I would like to see decision-makers reflecting more critically on what modern infrastructure means, also in terms of sustainability, because road construction alone will not move our region forward. We should think in terms of sustainable structures. Demographically, our region is shrinking and road construction is made for individual car traffic. The money could perhaps be invested more sensibly in reactivating rail lines.

The political climate in our region is difficult and not characterized by great diversity, they say in the book. Public defamation, threats and violence were among the methods used by the backwards. So why should one come (back) to Upper Lusatia?

You can put it this way: What is happening on the B96 on Sunday is a negative location factor. The political climate in Upper Lusatia ranges from conservative to right-wing conservative, and there is little awareness of the value of diversity. People who work to make things different often think they are alone because the others are louder. We have to show that there is something else here too, for example through guest posts or reader opinions or just good examples of what is possible here. If you want people to come back or move to Upper Lusatia, you also have to ensure that there is free space that can be designed. We need people who want to move the region forward and we can make sure that their commitment doesn't get in the way. That's the only way something can move. If administrative structures continue to do their thing over people's heads as they have up until now, even the die-hards will be frustrated. The more committed people have bad experiences and bang their heads against the wall, the less they will contribute to the development of the region in the future. Our region cannot afford that.

Will that change when young people move into political office?

The generational change that we need for this does not happen on its own. We need people who want to be part of the change, who have a clear attitude that they carry into the old structures. There are ideas and visions as to how this can be achieved. I'm thinking, for example, of the "University for Future" that we are currently developing with the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, where the aim is to also root young people who study here. And Zittau's application for the Capital of Culture has shown that you can get people from the region enthusiastic about common goals and visions. However, it is still the case today that you have to justify yourself if you are for something – for a healthy environment, for an open society. Those who are against everything do not have to justify themselves. This is what the political mainstream looks like here. Too often those who do not act according to the common good are protected and promoted. It's about making it possible to discuss how we want to live together here in the future. And the topic of common good and community is essential. Also for a contemporary, open understanding of home.

Further examples and approaches of how this can succeed can be found in the book. "Wir machen das schon - Lausitz im Wandel" was published in February 2021 by CH. Links and can be ordered, among others, in the online store of the bookstore Buchkrone in Zittau.