Abstract
The article analyses the political representation and experiences of people with immigration background running for elections at the municipal elections 2020 in South Tyrol. The article shows first, that comparing to 2016, in 2020 there has been an increase of foreign-born people on all lists, as well as in increase of foreign-born people elected for an office. Civic lists attract more candidates with migration backgrounds and most foreign-born candidates are on the lists in urban areas. Most candidates and elected persons have been born in the German-speaking neighbouring countries Germany, Austria and Switzerland. However, there has also been an increase of candidates from Albania, Romania and Pakistan.
Second, the article shows that candidates with a migration background enter politics primarily to serve the marginalized in society as well as to give migrants, and migration-related topics, a voice. But the candidates with migration background are also aware of party-political interests to attract votes and to mobilize a new electorate through them. Hence, the article points to the fact that descriptive representation of people with migration background, which has been rising since 2016, is by no means to put at the same level as substantive representation, which is still very much at the margins in 2019 in South Tyrol.