Freie Wähler on democracy and the state

The Free Voters call for a compulsory year of service to society for everyone. Among other things, it is meant to support disaster response and bring recruits from across society into the Bundeswehr.

The Free Voters want a year of community service for everyone. This year should be required. It should help with disaster response and the army.

The platform lists the service year among its disaster-response goals and as a way to recruit for the Bundeswehr. According to the party, the end of conscription also weakened social services that used to benefit from civilian service. On major questions such as conscription, the platform wants the broadest possible sections of the population to have a say.

The Free Voters want referendums on important questions in Bavaria and at the federal level, as well as direct election of the federal president and of the presidents of the district assemblies. A Bavarian freedom of information law would give citizens a right to information.

The Free Voters want citizens to decide more things themselves. There should be referendums in Bavaria and in all of Germany. Citizens should elect the federal president directly. Citizens should get a right to information from public offices.

The platform wants to introduce popular initiatives, allow petitions for referendums that affect the budget, and enable online sign-up. For local referendums, the minimum turnout would be lowered and the binding effect extended to two years. Parties would become less dependent on donations; the party points to the lobby register introduced in Bavaria. Municipalities would keep as much freedom to decide as possible, and political decision-makers would be better protected against defamation.

The Free Voters want to give municipalities more money of their own and more room to decide, instead of pointing them to complicated grant programs. Water supply would stay fully in municipal hands, and the platform rejects further privatization of essential public services.

The Free Voters want strong cities and towns. They should get more money of their own. They should decide as much as possible themselves. Water should stay fully in the hands of the towns. Important public services should not be sold to companies.

Decisions would be made locally wherever possible, and cooperation between municipalities supported. Procurement law would become simpler and friendlier to regions. Municipal energy supply and the role of towns in the energy transition would be strengthened, and public swimming pools preserved. For tasks with causes beyond the region, such as migration, the platform demands maximum help for municipalities. Public service would become a more attractive employer; municipalities could pay good staff more where needed, and government offices would be kept all across Bavaria.

The Free Voters want to bring young people's concerns more strongly into state politics and appoint a youth commissioner of the state government for this. Youth parliaments, youth centers and local education programs are to be supported.

The Free Voters want to listen more to young people. One person in the government should look after youth issues. Youth parliaments should get help. In rural areas, a car license at 16 should be tested.

The program wants to support the creation of youth parliaments, strengthen youth centers and expand local youth education. In rural regions, pilot projects are to test a car driver's license from age 16. "Digital Streetwork," meaning outreach youth work online, is to be made permanent. Also planned are inclusive youth welfare services and school-based youth social work paid for centrally by the state. Music schools and culture for young audiences are to be funded. The party rejects indoctrinating young people or making them afraid of the future.