FDP on Europe

The FDP commits to a united Europe and names a European federal state as its goal. To get there, it wants to promote cross-border exchange, especially in the Baltic Sea region, and make the Conference on the Future of Europe permanent.

The FDP wants a strong and united Europe. In the end, there should be a European federal state. People in Europe should talk to each other more. Schleswig-Holstein should work more closely with countries around the Baltic Sea.

The Conference on the Future of Europe is to become a standing format in which citizens can put forward proposals. Cooperation in the Baltic Sea region is to be stepped up, for example through youth exchanges, town and municipal partnerships, youth participation in Baltic bodies, and cooperation between companies and start-ups. Schleswig-Holstein is to speak up for peace, freedom and the rule of law in European debates. The FDP also plans an EU Welcome Desk to make the state more attractive to skilled workers from EU countries.

The FDP wants Schleswig-Holstein to take a bigger part in decisions in the EU and the Baltic Sea region. To that end, the Hanse-Office in Brussels is to be strengthened. It also backs reforms of the EU institutions, with a stronger European Parliament and a clear division of tasks under the subsidiarity principle.

Schleswig-Holstein should have more say in Europe. The state shares an office in Brussels with Hamburg. The FDP wants to strengthen this office. The EU Parliament should carry more weight. Things that can be decided better locally should be decided locally.

The Hanse-Office is to help municipalities and mid-sized firms get easier access to EU funding. A posting there, or taking part in exchange programs with neighboring countries, is to be a career advantage for public employees. The state is to work more actively in bodies such as the Council of the Baltic Sea States, the Nordic Council, the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference and the Committee of the Regions, and to hold regular exchanges with northern German MEPs. For the EU institutions, the FDP wants to strengthen the Parliament vis-à-vis the Commission and clearly delineate the responsibilities of each level of government.