Positionpaper

Economic Policies
Wirtschaftspolitik

Positionpaper
of the Faction

Responsible:
Arbeitskreis Wirtschaft
Parl. Berater Dr. Peter Linder

Excerpt and Translation of the Republikaner Platform
First approved on September 22, 1995, last update May 1997
This date is relevant when considering the statements by SPD, CDU and FDP in January and February 96 only weeks before the last election in Baden-Württemberg, and their closeness to Republikaner positions. Only weeks previously the same parties and people downgraded the identical Republikaner positions violently.

The Republikaner view:

Politicians must expect developments outside their own control and must act with the future in mind.
Politicians must plan long term. Necessary changes in policies must be publicised as early as possible and all consequences - in particular financial ones - of new decisions must be considered and evaluated before a decision is made.
Future Politics requires „network politics“.
As a definition: Economic decisions without considering education, finances, immigration, ecology - to name but a few - must and will fail. The same is true for any other political decision.
Network Politics is defined as politics where decisions are made only after the effects on society and on individuals are evaluated.

This is elementary -
but it is only Die Republikaner who follow these requirements.

Political decisions must further society as a whole
A free economic society with maximum freedom for individual deci-sions complements this demand.

Combining these statements is the basis of Republikaner Politics
Our objectives therefore are

-I	to assure the welfare of our citizens and our society (State, Länder, Communities) and of industry and commerce.
-II	to consider the limits of our world both in respect to the limit of resources and of ecology
-III	A secure future is possible only if population growth, domestic or world wide, is considered. This subject is a political taboo. Disregarding population growth makes all political decisions worthless.

To achieve these political goals, the following requirements must be put into practise

-1-	The economic political framework must assure equal opportunity to Germanys economy in international competition. Existing structures of trade, of „Handwerk“(craft) and industry must be modified to fit a changing world. They must however not be sacrificed to conform with supranational demands. These „forced upon“ changes due to EU regulations and Globalisation hit the Handwerk(craft) and the Einzelhandel(retail trade) in particular. More and more internationally operating conglomerates control and take over the Einzelhandel, and similar processes are starting in the Handwerk. This is detrimental to Baden-Württemberg, to our jobs and hence to all citizens. The strength of Baden-Württemberg has always been a healthy Mittel-stand(middle class/small business). Only the Mittelstand can guarantee safe jobs and a secure future. To safeguard our future, the Tarifpolitik(wages agreements) and working conditions must be revised, e.g. in regard to weekly working hours, to life time work and to related conditions.
-2-	Lohnnebenkosten(indirect labour cost) must be equal to those of our European neighbours. This is one more reason to make payments into the EU dependent on gross national product, resulting in a tremendous reduction of German payments, resulting in a reduction of Lohnnebenkosten. Germany as paymaste
-3-	Staatsausgaben(national expenditure) does influence economical conditions. The present rate of more than 50% of GNP is not acceptable and must be reduced. The present Staatsquote allows national, state and communal bodies too large an influence on industry, it might even be called Staatsdirigismus - an unacceptable contradiction to a free and democratic Grundordnung.
-4-	Reduction of öffentliche Kreditaufnahme(public borrowing) and reduction of Staatsverschuldung(state expenditure) are only possible after first reducing state spending. Government spending must be restricted to purely sovereign(hoheitliche) acts of state, must further the public good and is justified only, if private spending is not possible for legal or for economic reasons. Public or State Controlled Enterprises must be privatised. This in turn must not lead to new monopolies. Legal measures must prevent corruption and misuse. Neither organised crime nor other groups such as semireligious bodies or political extremists must be allowed to enter private industry. The Solidaritätszuschlag(transfer payments to East Germany) must have a time limit.
-5-	A balanced budget of Bund(national government), Ländern(state governments) and Kommunen(communities) is top priority, even if certain services must be sacrificed, which in times of high economic growth could easily be financed.
-6-	Expenses of state and communal bodies which are required as result of the treaty of Maastricht do grow without limit and control. They endanger our international competitiveness. A reform in administration and in tasks of Bund, Länder and communities is essential.
-7-	Folgekosten - the consequences of laws and regulations, must be defined by politicians prior to the passing of new laws and regulations.
-8-	Energiepolitik(energy politics) has to find new solutions, without ideological or political prejudice and without Technikfeindlichkeit(anti-technology-ideology) We demand an Energiepolitik, which assures safe energy, reduction of energy consumption and development of new sources of energy. New energies based on sun, water, wind and renewable resources must be furthered. Nuclear fusion is - based on today’s knowledge - the safest and potentially unlimited form of energy and must be developed. Kernenergie - nuclear power, which reduces CO2 production and is beneficial in that respect can only be tolerated, if all technical safety standards are assured and safe storage of nuclear waste is assured. Energiesparmaßnahmen - saving energy and the use of long life products has identical priority. We demand an energy policy which considers economical factors and jobs together with environmental aspects.
-9-	Reduction of subsidies and replacing them by growth measures is essential. Subsidies can only be starters and must have a time limit. Hidden subsidies as introduced by EU regulations or as result of erroneous immigration policy of present and former governments must be ended.
-10-	Economic growth must be stimulated by positive Rahmenbedingungen such as the previously mentioned reduction in Lohnnebenkosten reduction of outdated administrative regulations relief of Industrie and Wirtschaft from state duties shortening the time for Investitionsvorhaben(new investments) - from first idea to operational state, both for the public (roads, transport) and for the private sector. Equal opportunities must be assured by modification of all laws and regulations - in particular EU regulations - which permit legal misuse. Change in the tax structure. This must include ecological aspects. Tax on labour must be reduced and compensated without increasing the overall tax burden. Medium and small enterprise must have equal opportunity in competition with international Großkonzernen(conglomerates). Only this measure will assure future jobs. Stop the double taxation of savings. Werkvertragsarbeitsverhältnisse(working permits for foreign labour) and employment of low cost EU-labour force must be ended. These agreements resulted in bankruptcies of German industry and in loss of domestic jobs. Saving German jobs and preventing the export of jobs is a prime objective of our economic policy. To prevent misuse of subsidies and state help, all such financial assistance received from government or similar bodies must be paid back, if a transfer of production facilities abroad occurs on a case by case basis. Entwicklungshilfe(foreign aid) must be a „help to start“ and must not damage existing
-11-	An efficient education system is the basis for any economic policy. We demand strengthening the German craftsman training (duales Ausbildungssystem), furthering non academic education.
-12-	The number of jobs cannot be increased without limits. Limiting immigration is an absolute must.
-13-	Stability of currency and Währungshoheit(monetary sovereignty) are the foundation of any successful economic policy. A common European currency removes our Währungshoheit(monetary sovereignty) and hands over control of our destiny and our welfare to unknown third parties. Various currencies and their rates of exchange are mandatory for regions with different legal and social and economical conditions as they exist in Europe. To replace these different currencies by a common currency without first improving conditions will not only result in a dramatic lowering of living standards and lower individual freedom in Europe, but will endanger political harmony and co-operation. Introducing a common Euromoney is a very dangerous game and must be opposed in the public interest.

Baden-Württemberg and the working place Deutschland are only secure, if these demands are assured.
We have a vision -
that this dream, that our demands become true.

In case of different interpretation, the German language version only is valid.
print number wi-e187-70501