Promoting Inner Unity in Germany and Europe
2012 was a many-faceted year. While for German economy’s leadership a booming atmosphere prevails, wider parts of Europe were seized by heavy concussions, as in Germany social distortions grow in the shadow of exploding profits.
Germany is a rich country, affording millionfold poverty of children and age, and wages below subsistence minimum. Germany is the weaponry of Europe, exporting death generally not by soldiers but in the form of tanks, rifles, bombs and shells.
In 2013 important decisions are due in Germany as well as in Europe. The entire continent suffers from a heavy political, economical, and social crisis, which is ever faster expanding from the periphery to the centre. Even in Germany, being a main causer of the crisis with its onesided export orientation and massive trade surplus - from which the crisis experienced its decisive intensification through destructive cutting dictates for ever bigger parts of Europe - the consequences can be felt ever more strongly. The dynamic of deployment decreases instead of an exorbitantly expanded low wage sector and the slashing of social security for millions. Even big companies feel the nosediving of demands with their European neighbours and their order books getting emptier. They start closing sites and cutting jobs. Due to the commencing effect of the debt brake also in Germany, public funding sees massive cuts ahead of it.
In this situation we argue for leaving the way of depleting the welfare state and democracy and pursue an alternative path aiming at work, sociale justice, ecological transition and nonviolence in international relations. We want to take a stand for a noticable progress of the inner unity in Germany and Europe in 2013. This encompasses the reduction of social and economic contrasts, in the first place to push back poverty and massive wealth in the hands of a few. Those belong together. That requires people being able to live on what they earn from their work and being able to keep their living standard in old age. For Germany this means not least to destroy the cemented inequality between east and west. In 2013 we will argue for the first steps into an adjustment of East German pensions and the prohibition of east-west-discriminations in generally binding wage agreements. This comprises on a European scale, that we can fight for the depletion of economic and social disbalances in Europe only by a common Europe-wide departure of civil society against the impertinences of the unleashed financial markets .
DIE LINKE is and will be a power of protest and defence of political and social rights. In 2013 DIE LINKE will as a factory of ideas for social progression fight to regain trust and fight for new voters. Last year we proved to be kept together by a common idea even in heavy storms. This country needs a political social security. This country needs DIE LINKE.