Reform debate: FDP: Less vacation, but more money for employees

The FDP accuses the black and red coalition of reforms and wants to profile itself as a party of “radical changes”. Party chief Christian Dürr said in Berlin after a closed conference of the Federal Executive Board, CDU general secretary Carsten Linnemann regularly speak that people in Germany do not feel like working. However, people would very much feel like doing something, but the framework conditions were not right. Dürr suggested that there must be the opportunity for employees in labor law to take fewer vacation days in one year – but at the same time earn more money.

It is about more flexibility to reward performance. The FDP boss called another proposal: that social benefits, similar to the state training support BAföG, are paid back. The welfare state must be made more accurate.

“The FDP occurs to eliminate the standstill in Germany,” said Dürr. The party had flown from the Bundestag in the Bundestag election after the traffic lights failed with the SPD and the Greens.

“Autumn of Reforms” awakens memories of Dürr

With a view to the job cuts at companies such as Bosch, Dürr said that there was no end to the weakness of growth in sight. The people and companies in the country are increasingly losing the belief that something is still changing. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU )’s announcement about an “autumn of the reforms” reminded him “almost sarcastic” of the situation in autumn 2024 – at that time the FDP had called out an “autumn of decisions”, but the traffic light broke. At Merz there is a risk of a “winter of inactivity”.

The FDP has launched a process for a new basic program. In surveys, the FDP is currently three to four percent in the federal government. The FDP should be positioned “noticeably”, said Presidium member Florian Toncar. The direction that the country needs are freedom, personal responsibility, respect and tolerance. In the coming year there will be five state elections, including in Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony-Anhalt, where the FDP is represented in the state parliament.