ÖDP on democracy and the state

The ÖDP wants to introduce citizen-initiated petitions and referendums at the federal level and strengthen public participation by law at every level. Corporate donations to parties would be banned so that, in the party's view, politics cannot be bought.

The ÖDP wants more direct democracy. Citizens should also be able to vote on laws at the national level. Companies should no longer be allowed to give money to parties. Lawmakers should need permission for side jobs.

The hurdles for citizen-initiated petitions would be lowered; the party cites Article 20(2) of the Basic Law. Members of the Bundestag could take on outside work only with approval from the Bundestag's presiding committee and only where no conflict of interest exists; a new law would provide for this. The ÖDP points out that it accepts no corporate donations itself. Measures in crises such as the Covid pandemic would have to rest on laws rather than on decrees that bypass parliament. More transparency in government action is meant to win back lost trust.

The ÖDP wants Germany to carry out a thorough review of how well it can withstand severe crises. Weak points found in the review should be fixed quickly, and resilience should become a guiding goal of policy.

The ÖDP wants Germany to be better prepared for crises. The state should check where the country is vulnerable. It should fix weak points quickly. Being crisis-proof should be an important goal of politics.

The review is meant to cover not only health care but also areas such as energy and food supply. Weak points are to be fixed without delay. The platform also calls for a clear path back to normal life after the pandemic. In the ÖDP's view, that normal should break with the pressure to consume and see people as part of nature.