The kickoff event “Bitcoin im Bundestag” has brought Bitcoin into the German political discourse. Roman Reher of Blocktrainer, the largest German-speaking Bitcoin YouTube channel, and Kristian Kläger, CEO and founder of terahash.energy GmbH, delivered two formidable introductory presentations in the German Parliament. German politicians tend to associate Bitcoin with money laundering, criminal activity, and climate change. The goal was to help them better understand the unique benefits Bitcoin offers.
Privacy was key to the success of this event. Due to the fact that Bitcoin is still a controversial topic in German politics it was important for MPs and staff attending the event to maintain their privacy. This would prevent them from receiving any reprimands by their party leaders. Even visitors from the outside attended. The MPs prefer to sit in the back of the room, so ordinary visitors were invited up front. The event was a huge success and there are plans to hold more Bitcoin events at the Bundestag. While cameras were prohibited during the main events, some exclusive moments allowed select opinions to be captured on film.
Joana Cotar, founder of ‘Bitcoin im Bundestag’ is a party-independent MP. She has the privilege, as a MP who is not affiliated with any party, to put Bitcoin on the table, such as during discussions about the introduction digital Euro. As a member of the party, this would have not been possible.
Her previous affiliation with the right-wing AfD also poses challenges. In German political circles, guilt by affiliation is a powerful mechanism. No party wants to cooperate with the AfD. This creates a vacuum in politics and has led to debates within the Berlin Bitcoin Community. She said it’s good to remember that Bitcoin is uncensorable, free, apolitical and can be used by anyone.
Joana Cotar says that the German Parliament is also a bottom-up movement. The staff members of the MPs are crucial in bringing the topic to the forefront. They work They spend many hours with their MPs and are often encouraged to explore new issues by members of the German parliament.
Joana Cotar gives us a unique insight into German politics in the interview below. She talks about the access that banking lobbyists enjoy to the German Parliament, their influence over MPs and articulates specific requests, such as making Bitcoin legal currency, allowing self-custody and promoting sustainable Bitcoin mines.
Daniel van Heel has written a guest blog. Opinions are theirs alone own These views do not necessarily reflect the opinions of BTC Inc.
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Source: bitcoinmagazine.com