Lindner wants economic change
“Our country is standing in its own way”
April 27, 2024, 2:27 p.m
The party’s classic topics are on the agenda at the FDP party conference. In addition to the abolition of solidarity and criticism of basic child welfare, FDP leader Lindner is calling for an “economic turnaround” for Germany. The country is “not competitive”.
The FDP started its federal party conference with a call for a “real economic turnaround” and a policy aimed at economic recovery. “What we need is sober realism,” said FDP leader Christian Lindner at the beginning of his speech in Berlin. Realism must produce the “courage to act,” Lindner continued: “That is what we mean by economic transition.” The Finance Minister demanded that the warnings from business about a loss of competitiveness should not be ignored.
Compared internationally, Germany is experiencing weak growth, which also has consequences for security and social cohesion, said Lindner. “We have the brains, we have the know-how, we have the capital, but our country too often gets in its own way,” he told the delegates.
But growth is “not an end in itself,” but has “a deeper meaning,” emphasized Linder, with a view to wars and geopolitical crises around the world. In the long term, military support for Ukraine and the financing of German defense spending “cannot be done on credit,” said the party leader. “We need our economic performance for this.” An economic turnaround is necessary because “in the end, economic strength is also a factor in geopolitics.”
Banger view of Karlsruhe
In addition, Lindner has again called for the solidarity surcharge to be completely abolished. If you follow the case law on solos, then the likelihood of success of the lawsuits against him “cannot be dismissed,” he said. “Before we allow Karlsruhe to force us for legal reasons to forego the solidarity immediately and without a plan, we should rather make the clear political decision to forego it step by step in a planned manner.” The solidarity has now become a special tax on economic success for medium-sized businesses, crafts and industry, which Germany can no longer afford.
Linder also once again criticized Family Minister Lisa Paus’ concept of basic child security. He accused her of having to create up to 5,000 additional jobs. And according to a study commissioned by your ministry, up to 70,000 people would leave the workforce because they no longer have an incentive to work. “I’ll sum it up: We’re hiring 5,000 new civil servants who will distribute two billion euros in money so that the entire city of Aschaffenburg can then sign off from work.” Such a model is absurd and requires a change.
There is nothing against basic child security if the mutually agreed conditions are met, said Lindner. If that is not possible, the FDP is open to an alternative. “If there is a willingness to think differently, then here is our offer: Wouldn’t it be better to invest these billions in more, high-quality child care so that no one stays part-time against their own will because they know that the children are well accommodated. “