“Declaration of love to Germany”
FDP approves controversial key proposal for “economic turnaround”
April 27, 2024, 9:39 p.m
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Even before the FDP party conference, a resolution paper with demands for economic reforms is causing a lot of dissatisfaction among the coalition partners. The Liberals are now formalizing their proposal – and voting for the twelve-point program with a large majority.
The FDP is distancing itself even further from its coalition partners when it comes to economic and social policy. The delegates at the federal party conference in Berlin overwhelmingly approved the twelve-point program for an “economic turnaround” presented by the FDP executive board, which was clearly rejected by the SPD and the Greens.
When submitting the motion, General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai emphasized that the FDP was not seeking a break in the coalition. “This is not a divorce petition to the coalition,” said Djir-Sarai. “This key proposal is a declaration of love for Germany, for our country.” In the twelve-point program, the FDP calls for, among other things, tax cuts, reductions in bureaucracy, more flexibility in the labor market and a consolidated state budget.
Germany needs “a departure package that goes beyond everything that has been planned so far,” it says in the resolution. Further demands include cuts in citizens’ benefits, an end to state support for renewable energies and the abolition of the tax-free pension for those who have been insured for a long time. These points met with strong criticism from the SPD and the Greens. FDP leader Christian Lindner had previously called on the coalition partners in his party conference speech to discuss measures to stimulate the weak economy. Anyone who criticizes the FDP’s proposals must submit their own suggestions. The Liberals are open to discussions.
Secretary General Djir-Sarai argued similarly: “Of course we expect that, after an intensive discussion, we want to implement the things we decide today together with our coalition partners,” he said in the evening. “If you want ecological transformation, if you want functioning social security systems, if you want prosperity for the people in our country, you need the economic transition,” said Djir Sarai.