Genscher’s work is determined by its liberal, value-oriented attitude, which runs like a thread through his time in office: freedom, security and democratic self-determination were the values in which he engaged as a liberal politician and with which he identified himself as a human being.
The Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) meets on the upcoming Thursday. Despite explicit criticism especially from Germany, no one should expect higher interest rates in the medium term.
Luckily, the world community in Paris was not as unrealistic as the German Federal Government. The climate treaty expressly allows for the equalization and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Now it’s up to politicians to align national and international ambitions with the realism of social development and actual climate dynamics.
Europe has chosen to define itself as an open society. This allows for individual freedom. But it also gives enemies the opportunity to destroy open spaces, guaranteed by the state, intentionally and with the aim of causing maximum harm. However, it is not only terrorists who are putting the European model at risk.
Worldwide, people continue to strive for freedom. But the value system of liberal democracies and free markets is facing increasing pressure to legitimise itself.
Germany is thus in a strange position: it is putting pressure on other countries to cut their budgets and take actions to implement necessary reforms, but itself will do the opposite.
The Liberal Institute of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation invites all interested to read Institute’s publications: 1. Concepts of Liberty Competition Freedom Liberalism Market Economy Responsibility 2. Occassional papers The future task of Liberalism – A political agenda Theme Report, Liberal International Congress, Pisa, September 1988, Ralf Dahrendorf, 1988 (2011) The Dutch health care system – Can the Germans go Dutch?, Marcel Canoy, 2010 American Health Care Policy Issues, Arnold Kling, 2010 Liberalism, liberal policy and…
