Overview
- In a rapid-fire segment of the Absolute Mehrheit podcast, Marcel Fratzscher said, "If people cannot vote in the first 18 years, they should not in the last 18 years," in a clip posted on Instagram on Monday.
- The line drew sharp criticism on social media and from readers, with many comments questioning his judgment and the role of the publicly funded DIW.
- Bavarian Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger criticized the statement on X, pointing to Fratzscher’s position as a policy adviser and DIW president.
- Fratzscher later wrote on X that the remark was humor and cited a similar 2019 satirical idea by Die Partei, linking to an interview with Nico Semsrott.
- The DIW said the exchange occurred in a brief 'Hot Takes' format and was intended playfully, as coverage also highlighted Fratzscher’s other generational ideas such as voting from birth, a civic or defense year for retirees, and a climate surcharge.