The Left’s Alliance, led by Sahra Wagenknecht, will demand an “Infrastructure Guarantee” in their election program for the Bundestag, ensuring the basic supply of essential services, according to the Welt am Sonntag.
The party wants the state to secure the public transportation, medical care, and quick access to hospitals, as well as the supply of supermarkets, fast internet, youth and elderly recreation, and affordable housing. Where the “existential” is concerned, the principle of “common good over commerce” should apply, the party says, citing the areas of health, care, housing, and education.
The party plans to finance a “large investment program” by relaxing the debt brake: for investments in “bridges, roads, rails, schools, homes, and networks” more debts can be taken on. “Our country is at a turning point: in the next legislative period, it will be decided whether Germany will continue to belong to the league of leading industrial nations or will irreversibly decline, losing its basis of prosperity” the party writes, suggesting that gas be imported from Russia.
The party focuses on solving the current economic crisis, emphasizing that “health, housing, energy, and water supply” should be oriented towards the common good, not profit. Germany must focus on its interests and strengths.
“We don’t need the billionaires to be re-elected like in America, nor the failed politicians of the old parties, who are responsible for the economic decline and growing war danger” said party leader Sahra Wagenknecht. “The country needs a revival of its economic success model with a strong middle class and social cohesion, it needs money for good schools and better pensions, not for green hobby projects and more weapons.”
The party also proposes a change to the law, urging the deletion of the paragraph in the criminal code that criminalizes the defamation of a “person standing in the political life of the people.”
Politicians have in the past reported citizens for similar insults, sparking outrage, such as the case of a man who called Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) a “Schwachkopf” online, leading to a police search of his home, even before Habeck himself filed a complaint a month later.
Politicians should not use their “complaints against critical citizens” to “paralyze entire public prosecutors’ offices” Wagenknecht said. “Those who, with their politics, really worsen the lives of many people should also be able to cope with the fact that those affected express their anger.” The solution is better politics. While violence and murder threats must still be investigated, Wagenknecht said, “we need no special rights for insulted politicians, but equal rights for all citizens.”
The program, titled “Our Country Deserves More” was adopted by the party’s executive committee on Thursday evening and will be confirmed at the federal party convention in Bonn on January 12, where the federal executive board will submit it as a main motion.