On 23 October 2026, 25 students from Minerva University in Berlin spent a day forming a German government. As part of their semester programme and in collaboration with BetterPolitics, CRISP ran the simulation game ‘Who Rules Neuland?’ in English for the international group.
The game begins with a simplified federal election. Afterwards, the participants take on the roles of politicians and go through all the stages of forming a government: parliamentary group meetings, exploratory talks, informal discussions and formal coalition negotiations. The content is based on real party manifestos and current debates in the German political landscape; all names in the game are fictional.
The negotiations were multifaceted, lively and ultimately successful. By the end of the day, a new government had been formed. In the concluding evaluation, the participants reflected on which factors had most influenced their decision-making and which qualities had been most important for the negotiations. A willingness to compromise was rated as the most important factor.
“Coalition negotiations usually take place behind closed doors. In the simulation, the students sat at the table themselves and experienced just how much listening and a willingness to compromise are required to form a government,” says Lea Strube from CRISP.
The event was organised by Lea Strube, Lea Auer and Julius Mielke. “Who Rules Neuland?” received an award in 2023 in the “Aktiv” competition run by the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb).
The simulation game is available in German and English for universities, schools and international study programmes, and is tailored to the relevant curriculum. Are you planning a programme in Berlin? Please get in touch with us hello@crisp-berlin.org.
