Isa's fierce critique of politics and media lives on after her death

Isa, a sharp critic of political distractions and a passionate advocate for structural change, has died of cancer. She spent her career in cultural management, navigating the uncertainties of project funding while pushing for clearer, more accountable policies. Her views on media scandals and political priorities remain as relevant as ever. Isa and I often debated global issues over wine, reducing complex problems to their simplest forms. She had little patience for what she called the 'stupification industry'—the endless cycle of scandals and petty affairs that kept people from focusing on real systemic problems. Recent headlines about whales, elephants, and prosecutors would have only reinforced her frustration.

She believed laws should be temporary, with built-in expiration dates to assess their real-world impact. Every bill, in her view, needed a clear statement of the problem it addressed and measurable success indicators. These ideas were part of her broader critique of how politics and media operate.

Her death comes at a time when right-wing groups, including the AfD and parts of the CDU, are targeting NGOs. Isa would have had strong opinions on the Hülya Iri affair and the integration work at Kronsberg, seeing it as another example of how public attention gets diverted from deeper issues. Isa’s career in cultural management was precarious, but her thinking was anything but. She left behind a demand for clearer policies and a warning against the distractions that dominate public debate. Her absence is felt as political attacks on NGOs intensify, a fight she would have watched closely.