We mustn’t become a country of dropouts and uneducated people!

Our schools are on fire. Figures we obtained from the Federal Statistical Office show that more and more pupils are leaving school without a qualification: Last year, 17 per cent more than two years previously. This is no wonder, as our education system is in a miserable state. Even in primary school, core skills such as reading, writing and arithmetic are far too often not learnt. The lack of teachers and social workers means that pupils and young people from poorer families in particular are left to deal with their problems on their own. According to the school barometer, one in three of them suffers from psychological stress. One in four of all pupils surveyed rate their own quality of life as low and far below the level before the Covid pandemic. I find this development devastating! Instead of simply shrugging their shoulders at such figures, politicians must finally take action and provide more staff in daycare centres and schools.

The economy is limping, CEOs are cashing in. Stop the payouts to senior managers!

The economy is shrinking, insolvencies are soaring, more and more companies are announcing redundancies – and despite all this, the managers of DAX companies are earning more than ever before. And the head of VW, of all people, who announces cost-cutting plans and redundancies to employees, also pockets the highest salary at over 10 million euros. This has nothing to do with fair performance! It also deepens the social rifts when the salaries of top managers increase more than twice as much as the wages of normal workers and employees.  We finally need a sensible economic policy that rewards innovation and job creation and limits the greed of managers and major shareholders. Medium-sized companies in particular should be freed from obstacles such as poor infrastructure and excessive bureaucracy and share buybacks, dividends and bonuses should be taxed more heavily.

An end to Weapons delivery! No to Taurus missiles to Ukraine!

Attacks on targets in Russia with long-range weapons would open Pandora’s box and lead us to the precipice of a world war. Russia’s foreseeable response to the use of ATACMS missiles by Ukraine, authorised by Joe Biden, will cost even more lives. It is a sign of complete irresponsibility that Biden, who has already been voted out of office, continues to escalate the conflict with Russia. Instead of supplying Ukraine with thousands of kamikaze drones, Scholz should now speak to Zelensky after the phone call with Putin and make it clear that a military escalation is not in the interests of the people in Germany, Ukraine and Europe and would result in an end to Germany’s support. The last thing that is needed in the current situation are people like Merz or Habeck who, misjudging reality, want to run after a failed US president and supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles for an unwinnable war.

Ukraine has used far-reaching weapons against Russia for the first time, authorised by a US president who was voted out of office. I find that extremely dangerous. 

Even US intelligence agencies warned in the summer that the lifting of range restrictions on Western weapons could lead to Russia attacking military bases on NATO territory in return. 

Instead of continuing to escalate the situation by supplying Taurus missiles and risking a world war, a ceasefire must finally be negotiated. On Maischberger (a German TV Talkshow), I explain why negotiations are the only way to end the appalling suffering and death in Ukraine and why we should not adopt the position of Ukrainian President Zelensky, who rejects talks with Putin and is determined to lead Ukraine into NATO. 

Arrest warrant against Netanyahu for War Crimes. Weapons embargo against Israel now!

Yesterday, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for war crimes and crimes against humanity. This decision is also a resounding slap in the face for Federal Chancellor Scholz and Foreign Minister Baerbock. After all, almost a third of arms deliveries to the Israeli army come from Germany, last year almost half. What will it take for the German government to stop aiding and abetting the war crimes of the Netanyahu government in Gaza? In my opinion, an arms embargo against Israel is more than overdue!