Under the influence, of democracy

While India is busy debating the nutritional value of revdis - freebies that sound more delectable - a small German town has cracked the ultimate voter loyalty programme: freibier, a.k.a. free beer. Election authorities in Duisburg - we are reliably told that it's the 15th-largest city in Germany - clearly unimpressed with its 68% voter turnout in the last federal election in 2021 (a whole 8.5 percentage points below the national average!), decided that democracy needed a little liquid incentive. And, honestly, they might be onto something.

Voters worldwide are tired of the same old promises - cleaner cities, better transport, improved schools... yada, yada, yada. Political parties need to realise that democracy isn't just about governance, it's also a consumer marketplace. Voters aren't just buyers of policies, they're also sellers of votes (figuratively, of course, so Election Commission, chill). In a world grappling with inflation, migration, migraines and wars, what better way to ease the pain than a cold pint at the polling station? Germany had its parliamentary polls yesterday. The 'beer push' plan seemed to work, with reportedly some 80 voters grabbing the offer of free lager within the first hour after casting absentee ballots. If voter apathy is a problem, a frothy solution may be what democracy needs. Down with teetotalitarianism!