Wilhelm von Gottberg, February 24, 2021, Housing Market

German Bundestag, Plenarprotokoll 19/211, pp. 26609-26610.

First, a critical word on the formulation for this current affairs hour: “Housing Market as Political Plaything” is besides the point. What the FDP means will be expressed in the second part of theme: “The Federal Government’s Support for Freedom and Property in the Housing Market”.

Politics must concern itself with the people. Whose basic requirements are no plaything. Private property promotes individual responsibility and guarantees a gradual independence of people. Property promotes people’s self-consciousness. All of our educational efforts for children and youth have the goal of bringing up self-reliant, self-conscious citizens.

Ladies and gentlemen, this educational goal can only be successful if independent thought [das Mitdenken] obtains the necessary material dimension. Therefore, freedom and property in the housing market must be a central concern for every Federal government.

The introduction of rent caps here in Berlin was blessed by a coalition led by the SPD – by the SPD which also co-governs in the Federal government. We must also register a further intensification of the rent brake and its prolongation until 2025, as a well as recognize a questionable reform of the housing property law which further curtails rights of individual owners. To this negative catalogue also belongs the reduction of the renovation assessment [Sanierungsumlage] to 8 percent or less. And the coming regulation of the construction code amendment allows to imagine nothing good in the future.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is to conceded: The just now specified negative catalogue shall make possible for a few high earners, of the greater number of people, dwelling rents of good value. Ladies and gentlemen of the left side of the house, you thereby neglect to observe the political fundamental of “measure and mean”.

If a small landlord in Berlin was today asked how his freedom and property rights were arranged, he would give a quite sobering answer. The past legislation has let both shrivel to a deplorable remainder. Frau Bayram of the Greens has clearly positioned herself in this question – I cite: “If we now cap the rents, expropriation will later be easier”. This perspective suits the recent foray of colleague Hofreiter, that the construction of new, single-family houses is to be forbidden.

A considerable portion of the colleagues on the left side of the plenum forget that certainly many of the small landlords purchase their housing units with money earned from work, and for that have for years foregone consumption. For these landlords it is thus in no way unproductive income, as is always asserted, but labor and skill have been provided which were invested in these dwellings. The Federal government is also obligated to protect these people.

Politics has to promote the general good. The peace of mind and sense of self-worth of a growing people decisively depend on four factors: On a dwelling which corresponds to their requirements, a harmonious partnership, a fulfilling occupation, and in the acknowledgment of their personal individuality.

Residence is of the highest priority and is a basic right…All circles of the population in their own ways strive for this. That ranges from freehold property to rental unit. The overcoming of the crisis in the housing market can only and alone be achieved by means of expansion of the housing supply.

For that, nevertheless, all who have the means, regardless whether home dweller or investor, require reliable parameters. They require the assurance that today’s rules also still matter for tomorrow. Only then do freedom and property become the driving powers which create prosperity. To write this in the album of all delegations, and especially those of the government coalition, must be the goal of this current affairs hour.

Thanks.

 

[trans: tem]  

  

 

 

 

Uwe Witt, February 26, 2021, Solo Self-employed Support

German Bundestag, Plenarprotokoll 19/213, pp. 26852-26853.

Right honorable Herr President. Esteemed colleagues. Dear viewers.

Herr President, permit me to go somewhat further back so as to better understand the relationship. – As I was writing this speech, I needed to consider why for long all draft laws and statutory amendments which we had brought into this sovereign house were rejected by you by mutual agreement,

            Stefan Schmidt (Greens): Because they were bad!

and why this again now will occur with the submitted motion; whereby the impression is manifested: It is you who deeply divide our society and allow to again revive the political trench wars as they normally occurred in Germany a hundred years ago. It is you who are not in a position to accept a really divergent opinion. All which does not correspond to your way of thinking is evil and ought to be forbidden.

This then goes so far that leftist storm troopers by the name of “Antifa” fell upon an election stand this past Saturday in Baden-Württemberg and with 20 persons bludgeoned into the hospital a State legislature candidate of our party.

            Matthias Zimmer (CDU/CSU): Theme!

Thus, the chief of the Federal Constitution Defense will be changed, or elections of Minister-presidents will be repeated, because the results do not suit you.

            Kai Whittaker (CSU/CSU): Herr President!

           Matthias Zimmer (CDU/CSU): Herr President! What has this to do with                               the theme?

All of which leaves behind a stale after-taste and casts a dubious light on your understanding of democracy.

Whereby we are again at the theme. We of the Alternative had already demanded at the beginning of the first lockdown measures in 2020 assistance programs for the solo self-employed, those without shelter and other groups of persons. Yet how do you come to terms with our policy? Not at all! To the members of the CDU/CSU who just now cried out so indignantly: Since you, in the scope of a generally leftward political wandering, have turned away from your hereditary positions, must you now, ja, stigmatize as extreme right the political values for which you yourselves have not stood for 20 years.

All of you reject each of our motions and in that regard spread unbelievably fake news.

            Matthias Zimmer (CDU/CSU): Theme!

The AfD ensures the spread of Corona; the AfD ensures the neglect of women’s rights;

            Matthias Zimmer (CDU/CSU): Herr President! What then is the theme?

the AfD is responsible for Judenhass in Germany; and the AfD is naturally responsible for the murder of Walter Lübcke. Ladies and gentlemen, you are here carrying authentic, open opinion and democracy to the grave. I therefore appeal to you in the name of the fathers of our Basic Law: Permit other opinions,

            Sven Lehmann (Greens): Rightist extremism is not an opinion!

come to terms with our good ideas, and do not categorically reject these solely because these are from the AfD.

I therefore hope that you stop with your legal motions and ostensible assistance measures, fatal for the people, which in the lockdown measures ordered by you are merely placebos at the cost of our people. You harm not only our solo self-employed, artists, small- and mid-sized retailers, service providers, hotel and restaurant operations. No, you permanently and persistently annihilate millions of workplaces, millions of livelihoods, the dreams of hundreds of thousands of people of a bit of happiness and freedom in prosperity.

Particularly the solo self-employed whom you drive to ruin by means of a permanent work ban, leaving them to starve with empty promises to out-stretched arms. And I unfortunately do not mean that only picturesquely. The hitherto – as you name it – assistance programs are anything but authentic help for the solo self-employed. The final effect is that the government disgraces itself with the November, December, January, February, March assistance when this in fact is not received by those affected. The “Bild” newspaper last Saturday reported on a cook here in Berlin who received a December assistance in the sum of, believe it or not, 6 euros.

Our motion [Drucksache 19/26901], “Support for the Solo Self-employed – Help which Arrives”, includes precisely that which this government has neglected for a year: A direct aid for the self-employed who for a year have been undeservedly damned to inactivity by this government, and referred to the alms of jobs centers so as to preserve themselves and their families from starvation. In the year 2020 alone, almost 100,000 solo self-employed needed to apply for Hartz-IV.

I speak here of men who throughout their lives could take care of themselves by means of the work of their own hands and were never directed to public feeding, men who with work and diligence could feed their families, men who by means of their taxes have made a contribution to the social state. Now these men stand before the final exit of their livelihoods.

The regulations contained in your Social Support Packet III in no way lead to an improvement in the situation of these men. Instead, you prepare the way to a permanent stay in the basic security and thereby to long-term unemployment. If the definition of benefits [Leistungen] is for once looked at, one is immediately struck by the paradox of your Social Support Packet. It says “basic security for those seeking work”, not “basic security for the solo self-employed”, whose work you have forbidden by means of senseless Corona preventive measures.

The solo self-employed require direct aid so as to be able to secure their subsistence, and not simplified access to a system which, once caught in its clutches, no one again gets quickly free.

I thank you for your attention.

 

[trans: tem]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jörg Meuthen, March 5, 2021, Constitution Defense

AfD Kompakt, March 5, 2021

The Administrative Court in Cologne has today stopped with immediate effect the observation of the AfD – this decision is not only a victory for us but also for the state of law. Since the Administrative Court has shown that the illegal proceeding of the Constitution Defense against the largest opposition party can be stopped with legal means.

The Constitution Defense is to be tangibly rebuked for turning over highly confidential information to the media. Herr Haldenwang’s officials must now for a second time consider whether they want to continue to let themselves be politically instrumentalized against the largest opposition party in the German Bundestag. For us, it is certain: We will continue to exhaust all legal means so as to proceed against the BfV’s [Federal Office for the Defense of the Constitution] illegal dealings with the AfD. This day has proved that our prospects of success are thereby good.

 

[trans: tem]