German Bundestag, Plenarprotokoll 20/20, pp.
1457-1458.
Frau President. Valued colleagues.
The motion of the CDU/CSU discloses for the first time that
the Constitution’s postulate of equivalent living standards in the territory of
the Federal Republic apparently was not attained – a late acknowledgment for a
party which for many decades in government was responsible for the fate of
Germany.
The best example is the commission for the creation of equivalent
living standards of the 19th legislative period. If it is seen how
the new Federal States prior to the State legislative elections there were
compensated on account of the closing down of brown coal mining – it may be
granted by you – one becomes misty-eyed when this is compared with the closing
down of anthracite coal mining in NRW and in my State of Saarland.
Yet with regard to the policy of the Merkel time in office
and of the present Ampel coalition,
you should perhaps rename the council as “council for equivalent poor living
standards” or equally the “council for scarcity administration”. Since money
for leveling up the living standards will not be on hand for the foreseeable
future. “The World’s Dumbest Energy Policy”, as it was styled by the Wall Street Journal not too long ago, as
well as the senseless lockdown policy, drag these States into a downward spiral
and provide in wide areas for misery in the population and for business
bankruptcies.
The crisis in the Ukraine alone shows how very dependent on
foreign powers this country as become. An evil awakening in Neverland Germany:
One needs only what one wants, then it will surely be.
A good start would be under the motion’s point 4, “the parliamentary
accompaniment of European legislation in regards the objective of a more
equivalent living standard” in Germany. If that means that German tax money
will first be transferred to foreign countries when it is better in every
region in Germany than in that of the payments recipients, then this would be
welcomed.
A small example from Saarland in which, due to the energy
policy, not only the auto and steel industries are being driven to the wall: In
Croatia, it may be granted by you, has been built a 2.4 kilometer bridge
between Split and Dubrovnik so as to avoid a 10 kilometer drive through
Bosnia-Herzegovina – in itself surely dubious. The EU has financed this project
to 85 percent, thus with some 300 million euros. By whom was this bridge built?
You can well nigh guess: A Chinese state concern. Thereby wanders the 300
million euros of tax money from the EU directly into the Chinese state account.
Why? Because your EU professionals are incapable of writing rational
procurement regulations. The curvature of bananas and cucumbers are more
important.
Marianne Schieder (SPD): What do you have against bananas?
Conversely, the Chinese naturally allow no international
bidders in regards their orders from which German businesses could profit.
For the Saarland, that means the following case:
First. The Saarland taxpayer co-pays for the Chinese bridge
construction.
Second. It is denied to the Saarland to deliver its highly
valued quality steel.
Third. With their tax payments, the Saarlanders also
subsidize the cheap, low value steel of China in Europe.
If the council would assist in preventing such imbecility,
then we could vote in favor. Unfortunately, here we see black.
Since, think of the States’ financial equalization. By means
of the States’ financial equalization, Bavaria in the beginning years of the
Federal Republic greatly profited from the payments by other Federal States,
and then later with Baden-Württemberg by complaining against the payments
obligations vis-à-vis other Federal States. Besides, responsible were the
politicians of parties which with one voice always declare to us that a
financial equalization in the EU at the cost of the taxpayer may be a wonderful
thing.
Many thanks und Glück auf!
Marianne
Schieder (SPD): Oje, oje!
[trans: tem]
