Since 2019, "Partei ergreifen!" has been an integral part of the Ruhrfestspiele, in collaboration with the DGB. Together with scholarship holdersfrom the Hans Böckler Foundation and young trade unionists from the region, we want to shed light on the value of democratic participation this year. We want to find out why young people get involved in political and trade union work. What role can the trade union movement play in the fight against anti-democratic tendencies? We want to take a look at what it means for our society when democratic principles are increasingly perceived as an obstacle rather than a strength. Why is it worth fighting for democracy in a world where more and more people find it 'too exhausting', retreat into indifference and even accept authoritarian alternatives? Journalist and author Mareike Graepel will moderate the event and draw attention to the challenges and opportunities that characterize our democracy today. In cooperation with the Hans Böckler Foundation and the German Trade Union Confederation, Emscher-Lippe region.