The chairman of the Young Socialists (Jusos) Philipp Türmer is calling on his party to take a closer look at the FDP. “The approach towards her has to become tougher – we owe it to young people in particular,” Türmer told the star. “It is against an appropriate adjustment of the minimum wage, is blocking measures that have already been agreed to reduce rents – and what is doing the most harm to our generation is Lindner’s clinging to the debt brake.”
Their “neoliberal policies” are exactly the wrong thing in the current situation and would only worsen the social and economic crisis. “Such a course would only drive the right-wing populists into the arms of even more voters,” said the head of the SPD’s youth organization. “The 12-point plan therefore rightly has no prospect of being implemented in the traffic lights.”
The FDP is meeting in Berlin this weekend for its two-day federal party conference. A 12-point plan from the Federal President to “accelerate the economic turnaround” will also be discussed there. Among other things, it calls for stricter civil money sanctions and the end of the “pension at 63”. The proposals have met with sharp criticism, particularly from the Social Democrats.
Juso boss Türmer also fundamentally criticizes the FDP policy. “The traffic light started with a promise of progress. But it does not fulfill this promise, especially for young people. The FDP is primarily responsible for this – and is thus disappointing young voters in particular,” said Türmer.
The study “Youth in Germany 2024” recently came to the conclusion that 14 to 29 year olds are more pessimistic than ever before. The researchers found that this is also reflected in a clear shift to the right among the younger generation. “Young people are drifting to the right,” warns Juso boss Türmer, because even today they are still far too often “at the bottom of the political priority list.”
They are affected by the same problems as other generations, only generally harder due to lower incomes or fewer reserves. “They earn too little to be able to afford the increased prices, they cannot find affordable housing and are afraid that the economic and climate crisis will ruin their future.”
Against this background, too, the Young Socialist accuses the FDP of clinging to its “ideological ballast” with the 12-point plan: “It follows the previous tenor of the Porsche drivers’ party: higher profits for companies, financed by the general public and garnished with a Pinch of contempt for poor people.” Nobody in this country is better off because of it. “On the contrary: this would only exacerbate the existing social crisis.”
It is therefore primarily up to the SPD to breathe life into the promise of advancement and respect, said Türmer. “You shouldn’t expect any support from the FDP, but you can’t let that stop the traffic lights.”
