Klöckner calls for an end to prostitution: A model for women's rights!

Klöckner calls for an end to prostitution: A model for women's rights!

The debate about prostitution in Germany is gaining momentum. Health Minister Julia Klöckner has taken a clear position and is in favor of reforming the controversial prostitution law. She criticizes the existing legislation as inadequate and calls for a rethink towards the Nordic model, which provides for a fundamental reorientation of the regulations in the area of ​​prostitution. According to Klöckner, the rights of prostitutes need to be better protected to address the ongoing problems of violence and inequality in this field of work. Germany is often referred to as the “whorehouse of Europe” because the intolerable conditions for many sex workers continue to exist, said the minister. There are officially around 32,000 registered prostitutes in Germany, while estimates from the German tax union put the number at around 250,000. The Federal Council even suspects that between 150,000 and 700,000 people work in prostitution. These figures illustrate the discrepancy between official registration and the reality of sex work in Germany.

What does the evaluation of the Prostitute Protection Act say? On June 24, 2025, the results of the evaluation, which was carried out by the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony (KFN), were published. This evaluation was intended to examine the effect and implementation of the Prostitute Protection Act, which has been in force since 2017. The KFN study states that the goals of the ProstSchG have been “achieved to a significant extent”. Nevertheless, the existing weaknesses and the need for targeted measures to remedy the grievances are recognized. In reflecting on these results, the Federal Association of the Nordic Model (BVNM) raises vehement objections. Its CEO, Simone Kleinert, describes the assessment as distorted and emphasizes that the reality of working with prostituted women is different. The event and the recommendations made in the report would not adequately address the violence and gender inequality that characterize prostitution.

Criticism of existing recommendations

The evaluation's recommendations envisage maintaining or even liberalizing the prostitution market, a development that the BVNM considers worrying. In particular, the extension of the Innocent Protection Act to “underage prostitutes” is seen as risky, as Kleinert describes the prostitution of children and young people as clear sexual abuse. The association questions the surveys on which the evaluation is based. These took place among prostitutes, operators of prostitution establishments and johns, which, according to the BVNM, is problematic as these groups could have a financial interest in maintaining the status quo.

The discussion about prostitution in Germany shows how complex the issue is and that many actors, from politicians to associations such as the BVNM, approach the issue with serious concerns and different views. The BVNM calls for a radical change of course towards a protection model that offers vulnerable people the necessary security and at the same time actively combats human trafficking. A study by Dr. Jakob Drobnik highlights the successes of the Nordic Model, which is also used in other countries and shows positive results in dealing with these challenges.

The discussion about prostitution in Germany remains exciting. It remains to be seen what changes will actually result from the current debate and the available evaluation results. The need for protective and fairer legislation is becoming increasingly clear.