Germany has sleepwalked through the past four years. We renewed ourselves in order to renew Germany. The time to stand by and watch is over
said Christian Lindner, the leader of the German Free Democratic Party (LI full member), at the Congress which elected him as the leading candidate for the September federal elections.
In his keynote address, Lindner, said the Free Democrats had spent four long years in the political wilderness and had emerged stronger for it. “Extra-parliamentary opposition is a tough business. The entire FDP has changed,” Lindner told the delegates.
A growing digital economy, better education, a federal EU and a responsible foreign policy were some of the issues discussed at the FDP convention in Berlin. For three days we worked and voted with the delegates on an elaborate electoral manifesto for September
said Markus Löning, LI Vice President on the Bureau and Chairman of the LI Human Rights Committee who was a Congress delegate.
Everybody may have its favourite party but who wants to vote for the social market economy, civil liberties and tolerance must vote FDP,
said Lindner in reference to the programme.
The party conference emblem was an open fire, symbolizing the burning questions of today, and some of the delegates wore bright yellow t-shirts featuring images of fire extinguishers.
Analysts believe the FDP could play a pivotal role after the election, either helping Merkel retain power in a three-way alliance together with the Greens, or again combine with the Greens in an SPD-led coalition.
