Low taxes, flexible work, legal cannabis: The FDP wants to enter the Bundestag election campaign with these… – Business Insider

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The FDP has drawn up its ideas for the 2021 federal election. The first draft of the election program, which is just under 150 pages long, has not yet been published. In it, the liberals call for, among other things, a new assessment of working hours, the legalization of cannabis, and the abolition of the controversial paragraph 219a.

There is also a list of priorities of just under 50 pages, which repeatedly addresses the issue of intergenerational justice. What seems to play less of a role, on the other hand, is climate protection. We have picked out a few points from the FDP program.

Capping social security contributions: The level of social spending is to be capped at 50 percent of the federal budget. Even before the Corona crisis, the federal government spent more than every second euro on social welfare. This is blocking investment, according to the FDP.

Smoking ban in cars: The FDP wants to ban smoking in cars when children are in the car.

Shopping on Sundays and public holidays: Under the heading of "making city centers fit for the future", the Liberals want to overturn store closing times. Retailers would then also be able to open their stores on Sundays or public holidays.

Club culture: The corona pandemic has hit the club scene hard. Even after a year of pandemic, disco owners are not allowed to reopen their stores. The FDP wants to set an example and calls for electronic dance and club culture to be recognized as an intangible cultural heritage.

No young against old: Here the FDP comes with climate protection by the back door. It wants to introduce a generational balance sheet for laws. Laws are to undergo a sustainability and generational balance check. In the process, society's benefits for future generations are compared with the burdens that the young have to bear or pay off. What is to follow from this, however, remains open.

Armored Europe: The FDP wants more European cooperation on armaments. This should relieve individual states of the burden of developing and procuring military equipment, as well as maintaining and training it, and allow them to benefit from each other's knowledge.

Away from daily maximum working hours: The FDP wants more flexibility in the Working Time Act. This is to be achieved by defining weekly working hours instead of maximum daily working hours. For mobile work and home offices, the Occupational Health and Safety Act should apply, but not the Workplace Ordinance, which regulates workplace safety, for example.

Against a women's quota: Although the Liberals would like to see more women in management positions, they do not want to use rigid quotas. Instead, they leave it at voluntary commitments for larger companies. Companies should also commit to improving the proportion of women at the board level.

Top tax rate: The classic FDP theme of tax cuts is also to be found in the election platform for the 2021 federal election. The FDP wants the top tax rate to apply only above an annual income of 90,000 euros. Average earners should not already pay the highest tax rate.

Term limits and reduction in the size of the Bundestag: If the Free Democrats have their way, future chancellors will only be allowed to rule for a maximum of ten years. They also want to do something about the large Bundestag (currently 709 members). In order to reduce the size of parliament, the number of constituencies and thus of direct mandates is to be limited to 250.

Abortion paragraph: The FDP wants to abolish the controversial paragraph 219a. This regulates so far that physicians on their Internet sides may not place information about legal medical abortions. However, this often makes it more difficult for women to obtain objective information and advice on the subject.

Legalize cannabis: The FDP calls for the controlled distribution of cannabis. Possession and consumption should be allowed for adults and thus the quality should be controlled and the passing on of contaminated substances prevented.

According to its election program, the FDP also advocates abolishing the EEG surcharge for renewable energies, diesel driving bans, and the rent brake. At the very end of the detailed collection of ideas, there is the proposal to recognize and support e-sports as a sport.

Since October 2020, all members of the party have been able to participate in the guidelines for the election program. The Julis, the youth organization of the FDP, also want to contribute their own proposals, such as the introduction of the Everyman's Right in Germany. This would allow anyone to pitch a tent in any place. The Julis want to make it possible for young people in Germany on a budget to get to know their country. The draft is to be officially adopted in May of this year.

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Low taxes, flexible work, legal cannabis: The FDP wants to enter the Bundestag election campaign with these... - Business Insider