M A I  -  Multilateral Agreement on Investment
a debate requested by  Die Republikaner

The Landtagsfraktion Die Republikaner requested an open debate on MAI in parliament, following two years of more or less secret negotiations by OECD groups.  The Republikaner claim that MAI - so far nearly unknown to the public - will greatly influence public life and the economy of Baden-Württemberg and of Germany.
MAI not only interferes with the state constitution and local and nationwide law but also with the German Constitution,  declared Wolf Krisch, Republikaner-MP.
The result of MAI will be to subordinate national governments to international investors if the investors claim discrimination or loss of profits. Economic interests will be placed above national or state interests.
This is the opening of Pandoras Box. International concerns could operate at will, opening or closing companies and obtain special considerations to the detriment of the people, the ecology and the nations economy.
MAI is an agreement that cancels national sovereignty, declared Wolf Krisch  MP. Its results could well be be an increase in unemployment or in low paid jobs. For that reason Parliament must discuss this problem and investigate fully the potential threat of MAI. It must be assumed that multinational corporations will increase their influence to a level that reduces national governments to second rate administrations. It appears that once MAI is enforced, no state can control its own natural resources or its economic development.
The objective of Die Republikaner is to have the Parliament of Baden-Württemberg initiate steps to stop the MAI negotiations.

For a full report on the debate - albeit in German - click here