BSW's Election Program 2025: Key Policies of Wagenknecht's Party

Sun 23rd Feb, 2025

The Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) aims to make a significant impact in the upcoming Bundestag elections in 2025, presenting a multifaceted election program that encompasses various social, economic, and migration policies.

Economic and Energy Policies

The BSW advocates for a transformative approach to economic and energy policies, proposing the establishment of a state industrial fund to invest in vital future sectors and key industries. The party emphasizes sourcing energy imports from the most cost-effective providers, even suggesting the reopening of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. This stance has sparked debate, particularly following remarks from party members highlighting the moral implications of sourcing gas from Russia compared to the United States.

Education Reform

The education sector is another focal point for the BSW, which criticizes the current system as inadequate for a modern industrial nation. The party's program calls for a centralized educational framework to ensure equal opportunities across all federal states. A significant reform proposed is the implementation of a mandatory German language test for children as young as three, alongside increased support for integration and language education in kindergartens.

In primary education, the BSW intends to prioritize fundamental skills like reading, writing, and arithmetic while advocating for the prohibition of mobile devices in classrooms to enhance learning outcomes.

Climate and Social Policy

The party's stance on climate policy reflects a pragmatic approach, rejecting the notion of unattainable rapid climate neutrality. Instead, the BSW proposes a diverse range of technologies to reduce CO2 emissions, including the use of efficient combustion engines and alternative fuels.

On social welfare, the BSW plans to dismantle the current citizen's income model, reverting to the traditional structures of unemployment benefits that support older workers more effectively. The party aims to increase the minimum wage to EUR15 per hour and ensure equitable taxation of capital gains and labor income.

Migration Policy

In terms of migration, the BSW adopts a stringent stance, advocating for border rejections and a hardline approach across Europe. The party's program asserts that Germany requires a "breather" from immigration pressures and emphasizes that individuals entering from safe third countries lack the right to residency or asylum procedures.

Internal Security and Civil Liberties

The BSW's proposals for internal security include enhancing police resources and increasing personnel within the justice system. However, the party also emphasizes the importance of protecting civil liberties, citing concerns over state overreach during the pandemic and the current climate of restricted freedom of expression.

Foreign Policy

In foreign affairs, the BSW advocates for a non-interventionist stance, opposing the deployment of new U.S. missiles in Germany, arms shipments to Israel, and financial aid to Ukraine. The party promotes negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine without preconditions, suggesting that countries like China could play a mediating role.

Conclusion

The BSW's election program, although initially intended to be a comprehensive framework, has been expedited in response to the forthcoming elections, resulting in a collection of key demands that reflect the party's ideological foundations.


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