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Germany's neoliberal FDP: No chance for a comeback? (www.dw.com)
submitted 1 day ago by namingthingsiseasy@programming.dev to c/europe@feddit.org
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[-] Ooops@feddit.org 24 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

They played a decisive role in the past... as a liberal party, or at least while still pretending to be something else than unchecked neoliberals exclusively.

Yet they have turned their backs one every single liberal idea they once represented, to the point that I would argue they have long crossed the line from (more or less corrupt...) party working mainly on behalf of their rich donors to a pure lobbying organisation for just a a few ultra-rich that tries to cosplay as a real party.

And as such they simple don't deserve anything above ~1%. That's already much more than the fraction of voters they represent.

What Germany actually needs is a liberal party. But the FDP just isn't it. Not after the last time in government where they finally betrayed even the last shreds of their former political position and decided to sell out privacy for the usual AI bullshit and to even shit on their beloved free-market for idiotic subsidies that were nothing more than thinly disguised donations for their fossil fuel buddies.

What Germany does not need at all are even more neoliberals.

[-] gajustempus@feddit.org 1 points 8 hours ago

to be fair - the German FDP may call itself "liberal", but they're, in fact, libertarian if you look into the details.

[-] Melchior@feddit.org 2 points 14 hours ago

The ironic part is that the FDP is bascially AfD light, but something like the NEOS in Austria or whatever Macrons parts is called right now would do okay in German elections.

[-] jlow@discuss.tchncs.de 36 points 1 day ago

Let's fucking hope so. But I'm sure in three years people will have forgotten what pathetic losers they are and vote for them again. Just like last time.

[-] einkorn@feddit.org 7 points 1 day ago

Unkraut vergeht nicht.

Weeds don't die.

[-] DudeImMacGyver@kbin.earth 3 points 1 day ago

I love that German for weed is unkraut

[-] AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space 11 points 1 day ago

If they come back at the expense of the Putinist useful-idiot parties (AfD and BSW), I’ll accept that.

[-] GardenGeek@europe.pub 5 points 15 hours ago

It's rather the other way round: AfD is even more neo liberal and has soaked up the financial contributions of rich donors formerly going to FDP. Other than FDP the AfD (unfortunately) actually has a chance to fuck up their ideologically blinded voter base with more more neo liberal policies as they're much closer to reaching a position of power than the former.

[-] timestatic@feddit.org 2 points 1 day ago

I know this might be a really unpopular statement for some. But I actually think a democratic (neo)liberal party like them in parliament is a lot better than having other populist parties like AfD or BSW. I believe they deserved what happened to them last election but our democracy is worse off if they fall out completely. All the restrictive proposals towards surveillance just show me that individual rights are quickly forgotten or brushed aside often in the name of "protecting children"

[-] trollercoaster@sh.itjust.works 8 points 18 hours ago

They aren't democrat. They are maximally corrupt cleptocrats who will sell their political influence to the highest bidder. This is the opposite of democracy.

Unchecked neoliberal cleptocracy and its social consequences, combined with parroting far right rhetoric to gain cheap voters is what gave rise to the AfD and their ilk in the first place.

[-] timestatic@feddit.org 0 points 8 hours ago

I know most people on this platform are left leaning. I have yet to see proof that they are any more corrupt than any other party. Its just that they are especially strong on corporate economic interest in many cases which makes many see them unfavorable. I still think its good to have only so much regulation as needed but otherwise let the market of ideas play mostly free

[-] trollercoaster@sh.itjust.works 1 points 8 hours ago

They are a bit more brazen in their corruption. Like when they lowered VAT for hotel stays from 19 to 7% and accepted a donation of 1 million € from a hotel chain afterwards.

You are right about most other parties being incredibly corrupt, though.

[-] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 30 points 1 day ago

We very desperately need a liberal party in Germany. But the FDP definitely isn't it. They've always been a party of redistribution from the poor to the rich. The talking points about freedom are just window dressing.

[-] timestatic@feddit.org 1 points 8 hours ago

No when it came to things like chat control they've always been very firm. SPD or CDU keep trying to increase government oversight. Their closeness to lobbies is very bad but still I think a party that is for individual rights and looks out for a mostly free economy (without compromising social services) is a good thing. The boogeyman Lindner is gone now. I hope they come back despite how unpopular they are in many circles

[-] rumschlumpel@feddit.org 14 points 1 day ago

This. If the choice was between redistribution to the rich and civil rights, they always chose redistribution.

[-] starchylemming@lemmy.world 1 points 15 hours ago

hey at least they are consistent

[-] Redditquaza@feddit.org 1 points 20 hours ago

They've always been a party of redistribution from the poor to the rich

Not in the 70s

[-] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 3 points 19 hours ago

That was just a phase.

[-] CyberEgg@discuss.tchncs.de 11 points 1 day ago

Last time the FDP was in the Bundestag, they were even part of the governing coalition (the most productive and for the most part most progressive and beneficial for the largest parts of the population Germany ever had) and the reason that coalition failed. And that was not even the first time the FDP blew it. The FDP has no place in our parliaments. They are neither better nor worse than AFD or BSW, they're just bad in a different way.

[-] timestatic@feddit.org 1 points 8 hours ago

They are for sure better than AfD or BSW. They are not nearly as bad even if you dislike them. They are no threat to democracy. They deserved the election loss last time, but the core of the party should have a place in german democracy. This might be where we disagree and its fine. The other parties were also preparing for the coalition breaking apart, the FDP just had a stupid title and inverted pyramid which made voters lose trust in them. They are different to SPD or Greens which is why we saw so much friction between them. But Olaf Scholz knew that the FDP would never support an end of the debt break and thus his ultimatum was his decision to end the coalition. Its good that the debt break is losend but the current government spends money in consumptive ways which is bad long term for our debts as interest payments will keep increasing. France is currently forced to push through an unpopular saving plan since they never stopped making debt and if we don't look out we might at some point have to make decisions they're making

[-] plyth@feddit.org 3 points 17 hours ago

They are neither better nor worse than AFD

They brought Kohl to power. The AfD has to work hard to match that.

this post was submitted on 09 Feb 2026
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