They played a decisive role in the past… as a liberal party, or at least while still pretending to be something else than unchecked neoliberals exclusively.
Yet they have turned their backs one every single liberal idea they once represented, to the point that I would argue they have long crossed the line from (more or less corrupt…) party working mainly on behalf of their rich donors to a pure lobbying organisation for just a a few ultra-rich that tries to cosplay as a real party.
And as such they simple don’t deserve anything above ~1%. That’s already much more than the fraction of voters they represent.
What Germany actually needs is a liberal party. But the FDP just isn’t it. Not after the last time in government where they finally betrayed even the last shreds of their former political position and decided to sell out privacy for the usual AI bullshit and to even shit on their beloved free-market for idiotic subsidies that were nothing more than thinly disguised donations for their fossil fuel buddies.
What Germany does not need at all are even more neoliberals.
The ironic part is that the FDP is bascially AfD light, but something like the NEOS in Austria or whatever Macrons parts is called right now would do okay in German elections.
to be fair - the German FDP may call itself “liberal”, but they’re, in fact, libertarian if you look into the details.
I know this might be a really unpopular statement for some. But I actually think a democratic (neo)liberal party like them in parliament is a lot better than having other populist parties like AfD or BSW. I believe they deserved what happened to them last election but our democracy is worse off if they fall out completely. All the restrictive proposals towards surveillance just show me that individual rights are quickly forgotten or brushed aside often in the name of “protecting children”
We very desperately need a liberal party in Germany. But the FDP definitely isn’t it. They’ve always been a party of redistribution from the poor to the rich. The talking points about freedom are just window dressing.
This. If the choice was between redistribution to the rich and civil rights, they always chose redistribution.
hey at least they are consistent
They’ve always been a party of redistribution from the poor to the rich
Not in the 70s
That was just a phase.
No when it came to things like chat control they’ve always been very firm. SPD or CDU keep trying to increase government oversight. Their closeness to lobbies is very bad but still I think a party that is for individual rights and looks out for a mostly free economy (without compromising social services) is a good thing. The boogeyman Lindner is gone now. I hope they come back despite how unpopular they are in many circles
