The federal competition “Jugend debattiert” (Youth Debates Competition) aims to encourage young people to actively participate in discussions and contribute in shaping democratic processes. The competition provides linguistic and political education. By training of both teachers and pupils, it promotes opinion and personal development. In addition, a country-wide debating competition is held for pupils of two age groups: classes 7-9 (ESM years 2-4) and classes 10-13 (ESM years 5-7). This competition is based on country-wide and regional school networks. Approximately 700 participating schools are joined together into provinces and regions.

A debate consists of a 24 minutes long discussion about current political issues or social controversies as for instance “Should public places be under video surveillance?” or “Should alcohol consumption be banned outside restaurants on certain streets and squares?”