Prosperity is created when we invest in our future!
Economic policy with a long-term vision!
Economic policy must not be focussed primarily on state subsidies. This costs the state a lot of money and therefore the taxpayer, and also fuels inflation.
The state should invest where it makes sense in terms of strengthening Germany as a business location and climate protection. Otherwise, economic policy should concentrate on setting the right framework conditions so that the economy and private households make investments.
What should be done?
- Suspension of the debt brake in 2024
- Reforming the debt brake
- Reduction of climate-damaging subsidies such as the company car privilege, the tax exemption on paraffin, energy tax concessions for diesel fuel (the abolition of these subsidies alone could save around 15 to 20 billion euros per year).
- The state must invest instead of subsidising
- Reducing bureaucracy in administration
- Tax incentives for both companies and private households
- Market-based instruments, such as CO₂ pricing.
- Low-interest loans for climate-friendly technology
- Sale of DB Schenker (a Deutsche Bahn company and therefore state-owned)
- Sale of the state's Telekom shares.
Where can sensible savings be made?
In Germany, there are 41 environmentally and climate-damaging subsidies totalling 65 billion euros a year. There is a lot of savings potential in these subsidies. This would also be an active and efficient climate policy.
What does a sensible economic policy look like?
We at Liberale Demokraten NRW have a number of proposals as to where we believe savings can be made and Germany can still be modernised, and climate protection and the transformation of the economy can succeed despite the budget crisis. And without gigantic subsidies from the state!
What is social-liberal economic policy?
Without exception, people and society are at the centre of a socially liberal economic policy. At its core, liberalism is a great thing. The policies of the Liberal Democrats aim to ensure that everyone in society has a right to an independent and self-determined life.
We as Liberale Demokraten are therefore also in favour of suspending the debt brake once again and are also in favour of a reform. In principle, we do not question the debt brake. The debt brake should be reformed and adapted in order to meet the challenges we face in Germany and Europe.
Emission price
For us, the most important element of successful action against climate change is socially just emissions pricing that covers all sectors. Our model of choice is socially responsible carbon pricing with a price corridor.
The principle is simple: anyone who emits one tonne of CO₂ (or another greenhouse gas) must purchase a certificate for it. The price of these certificates is determined by supply and demand, similar to the trading of company shares. However, in order to ensure planning security for companies, a continuously rising price corridor should be defined. It should be noted that the rising production costs in the economy would most likely be passed on almost in full to consumers. To counteract this and ensure social compatibility, we are calling for the climate dividend described below.
Climate dividend
The creation of a social balance is crucial to the success of any carbon pricing mechanism, as the additional costs would place a disproportionately greater burden on low-income citizens. For example, the cost of energy as a proportion of income is much higher for people with a low income than for those with a high income.
To compensate for this, we want to supplement certificate trading with a climate dividend into which the revenue from this will flow. The dividend should be paid to all citizens in the same amount. This means that anyone with average CO2 emissions will pay exactly the same amount as before the introduction of certificate trading. Those who are below the average will even have more money in their account at the end of the month.
Promoting innovation
The basis of every innovation and the resulting social progress is the interplay between education, technology and business. Promoting innovation without simultaneously promoting these areas is inconceivable for us. We are therefore calling for the promotion of innovation instead of gigantic state subsidies.
Centre for innovation
We call for the establishment of a nationwide, state-funded innovation centre that advises educational and research institutions, organisations and companies on the implementation of innovative ideas.
Where should investments be made to secure prosperity and promote climate protection?
- Zunächst einmal in Bildung. Humankapital ist die Grundvoraussetzung unserer Volkswirtschaft. Daraus erwachsen Ideen und Innovationen
- In der Grundlagenforschung steckt enormes Potenzial, z.B. bei den Schlüsseltechnologien und in den Bereichen erneuerbare Energien und Wasserstoff.
- In der Herstellung existierender Bausteine von innovativen Technologien wie z.B. moderne Mikrochips
- in die Instandhaltung und den Ausbau der Infrastruktur, den Lebensadern einer florierenden Wirtschaft,
- in grundlegende Transformationsprozesse hin zu Klimaneutralität
- in die Digitalisierung
- in die Reform der öffentlichen Verwaltung und Entbürokratisierung
Wer in einer solchen Situation mit den multiplen Krisen unserer Zeit an der Schuldenbremse in der derzeitigen Form festhält, sabotiert die Zukunft unseres Landes. Es ist grob fahrlässig, sich für die Beibehaltung eines ausgeglichenen Haushalts als Champion der Generationengerechtigkeit zu wähnen, während man für die Zukunft Schulden in Billionenhöhe in Form von versäumten Anpassungsprozessen und Innovationen aufbürdet.
Besonders perplex macht der Sparkurs der Bundesregierung, weil er gänzlich an konventionellen wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Lehren vorbeiläuft. Es ist absehbar, dass eine Rückkehr zu einer Wirtschaftspolitik mit Weitblick nur durch einen politischen Machtwechsel möglich sein wird. Es braucht eine rationale, fortschrittsorientierte politische Kraft der Mitte, die ein Verständnis für marktwirtschaftliche Prinzipien mitbringt.
Nur eine Wirtschaftspolitik mit Vernunft und Weitsicht, ohne grüne und sozialdemokratische Ideologie. Ohne den konservativen Status quo der Union, ohne neoliberale Klientelpolitik und sozialistische Verteilungsphantasien, kann die Veränderungen auf den Weg bringen, die nötig sind, um unseren Wohlstand zu wahren und den richtigen Weg beim Klimaschutz einzuschlagen. Für eine Wirtschaftspolitik mit Vernunft und Weitsicht stehen die Liberalen Demokraten!