DirectDemocracyS

Govern together. Own together. Decide together.

POLITICAL PROGRAM FOR GERMANY

Analysis • Critique • Solutions • Future

A radical, logical and concrete restart for politics, economy, finance and society.

directdemocracys.org | public.directdemocracys.org

2025 edition

FOREWORD: WHY GERMANY NEEDS A NEW SYSTEM

Germany is at a crossroads today. After decades of economic strength, social stability, and political responsibility in Europe, deep cracks are appearing in the system—in politics, in the economy, in social cohesion, and in citizens' trust in their institutions.

This program was developed by DirectDemocracyS (DDS): a global political organization based on the principles of common leadership, collective ownership, direct democracy, logic, common sense, truth, competence, and mutual respect. Each official member holds a single, non-transferable share in the organization—no one can buy, take over, or control DDS.

We offer no promises. We offer analysis, diagnosis, and concrete, detailed, actionable solutions—based on facts, real data, and common sense. We criticize all political forces without exception when they fail. We praise what works. We don't remain silent about what is uncomfortable.

PRINCIPLE

Politics without truth is fraud. Business without justice is exploitation. Society without respect is chaos. DDS unites all three: Truth + Justice + Respect = the only way forward.

 

PART I: ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT SITUATION IN GERMANY

1.1 The political crisis: loss of trust and system failure

German politics is experiencing an unprecedented crisis of confidence. According to Forsa polls from 2024, less than 25% of Germans trust political parties. Voter turnout is declining. The proportion of so-called protest voters is rising dramatically. This is no coincidence—it is the logical result of a system that structurally functions not for the citizens, but for party apparatuses and lobby groups.

The five key political failures:

• Coalition governments as compromise machines: Grand coalitions translate the will of the voters into minimal agreements. The result is political paralysis, not progress.
• Federalism as a hindrance: 16 federal states with 16 different systems for education, police, administration — inefficient, expensive and unfair for the citizens.
• Lobbying as structural corruption: Germany has one of the weakest lobbying transparency rules in the EU. Corporations effectively write the laws.
• Grassroots democracy as mere decoration: Direct democracy practically does not exist at the federal level. Referendums are extremely restricted under constitutional law .
• Party oligarchy: Five to six parties have controlled political discourse for decades. New ideas and genuine alternatives are structurally marginalized.

CONCRETE FIGURES

The German Bundestag costs taxpayers over €1 billion annually. Hundreds of millions of euros of this goes to party foundations—which are financed by the very parties that vote on their funding. This is a blatant conflict of interest.

1.2 The economic crisis: Deindustrialization and loss of competitiveness

Germany, long the economic miracle of Europe, is losing its industrial base at an alarming rate. The reasons are structural, political, and partly self-inflicted.

indicator	Germany 2019	Germany 2024	trend
GDP growth	+1.1%	-0.2%	Negative
Industrial production	Index 100	Index 88.4	sharply declining
Energy costs for industry	Midfield EU	Highest in EU	Critical
Corporate insolvency	~18,000/year	~22,400/year	Rising
Investment rate	21% of GDP	19.2% of GDP	Sinking
WEF Competitiveness Index	Rank 7	Rank 24	Dramatic crash

The main causes of the economic decline:

• Energy transition without energy security: The hasty abandonment of nuclear power and fossil fuels without sufficient renewable energy capacity has driven up energy prices. German industrial companies pay 3-5 times more for energy than their US competitors.
• Dependence on China: The German export economy — especially automotive and mechanical engineering — has become structurally dependent on the Chinese market, which is becoming increasingly protectionist.
• Bureaucracy as an investment brake: Germany consistently ranks poorly in international comparisons of administrative efficiency. A wind farm approval process takes an average of 4–7 years.
• Skills shortage: Approximately 570,000 open positions in STEM fields (2024). At the same time, the integration of qualified immigrants is hampered by bureaucratic hurdles.
• Digitalization failure: Germany ranks 18th out of 27 in the EU in terms of the degree of digitalization of public administration. ELSTER, government portals, digital identity — all behind the state of the art.

1.3 The Financial Crisis: Debt Brake vs. Investment Needs

The debt brake, introduced in 2009, was intended as a safeguard against irresponsible government debt. In practice, it has become an investment brake, blocking necessary modernizations without solving the underlying debt problems.

• According to the KfW Municipal Panel 2024, the investment backlog in public infrastructure amounts to over €186 billion. Bridges, roads, schools, broadband – all dilapidated.
• At the same time, Germany is one of the few countries that has not invested despite periods of negative real interest rates. The money was available—the political will was lacking.
• Tax evasion and avoidance cost Germany between 100 and 150 billion euros annually, according to the Tax Justice Network. Consistent prosecution is lacking.
• The pension and social security system is not demographically sustainable. Expenditure is rising while the number of contributors is declining. Genuine reforms are being avoided for fear of election campaigns.

PARADOX

Germany is taking on debt to finance current expenditures, but is holding back on productive investments—which would generate precisely the future tax revenue needed to pay off the debt. This is fiscal nonsense.

1.4 The social crisis: inequality, integration and intergenerational justice

The social divide in Germany is deepening. The gap between rich and poor, between city and country, between established citizens and new immigrants, between younger and older people is wider than ever before since reunification.

Social indicator	Value	Evaluation
Gini coefficient (wealth)	0.78 (before transfers)	Highest inequality in the EU
Children in poverty	approximately 21%	Scandalous for a rich country
Housing vacancy vs. housing shortage	both at the same time	Market failure
Educational inequality	PISA: below OECD average	Social background determines the future
Older workers over 60 in employment	only 34%	Waste of experience
Unmet care needs (vacancies)	over 115,000	System crisis

 

PART II: THE DDS PROGRAM FOR GERMANY

What follows is not a wish list. It is a well-thought-out, coherent, logically structured system of reforms that are mutually dependent and reinforcing. Every measure is concrete, measurable, and has realistic timeframes.

CHAPTER A: POLITICAL REFORMS

A.1 Introduce direct democracy at all levels

DDS calls for a fundamental reform of the democratic system in Germany. Representative democracy alone is no longer sufficient to manage the complexity of modern societies and regain the trust of citizens.

Specific measures:

1. Referendums at the federal level: Constitutional amendment to enable binding referendums on all legislation of national importance. Threshold: 500,000 valid signatures to initiate a referendum; simple majority with over 40% participation for adoption. Model: Switzerland (successful since 1874).
2. Citizens' assemblies: At the federal and state levels, permanently institutionalized citizens' assemblies (based on the Irish model) are being established. Randomly selected citizens develop recommendations on important issues, which the Bundestag (German Federal Parliament) must then address.
3. Right of recall: Citizens have the right to recall individual members of parliament before the end of their term if they have demonstrably failed in their duties. Threshold: 25% of eligible voters in a constituency within 90 days.
4. Transparency obligation: All legislative proposals must be published online 30 days before the vote, with full cost impact assessments, lobbyist influences and opposing arguments.
5. Term limits: A maximum of two legislative terms in the same office (Bundestag, Bundesrat, Cabinet). Politicians should be policymakers, not administrators.

EXAMPLE SWITZERLAND

In Switzerland, an average of four federal referendums are held each year. Voter turnout is higher than in regular elections. Public trust in the government is among the highest in Europe . Direct democracy does not lead to chaos—it leads to accountability.

Expected consequences:

• Increasing voter turnout to 75–80% within 8 years
• Reducing political polarization through active citizen participation
• Higher quality legislation through real democratic control
• Curbing lobbying through public transparency obligations

A.2 Modernizing federalism — efficiency instead of fragmentation

Germany's federal system has historical merits. Today, however, it is in many areas a structural obstacle to efficiency, equality, and a rapid response to national challenges.

Specific measures:

6. Nationally standardized educational standards: Abolition of the states' sovereignty over basic skills (reading, arithmetic, writing, and digital literacy). A single national curriculum—with regional additions as an option. End of the educational lottery depending on where you live.
7. National Police Database: A unified, fully integrated police database for all 16 federal states. Currently, there are 16 incompatible systems—a security risk. Total cost: approximately €2 billion one-time; savings: over €800 million annually.
8. Administrative merger: Consolidation of 5-6 small federal states through voluntary merger with a referendum in the affected states (example: Saarland + Rhineland-Palatinate; Berlin + Brandenburg). Savings: estimated 8-10 billion euros annually.
9. Digital unified administration: A central digital government platform for all citizen interactions. One login, one identity, all services. Model: Estonia (fully digital administration since 2005).

A.3 Transparency and lobbying control

Specific measures:

10. Lobby register with disclosure requirement: All meetings between members of parliament and lobbyists must be publicly registered within 48 hours (including topic, duration, persons present, any documents).
11. Three-year cooling-off period: No minister or state secretary may work in a sector for which they were responsible for at least three years after leaving office. Violations: Loss of all pension entitlements.
12. Party financing reform: Reduction of state party funding to a maximum of 50% of total revenue. No funding of party foundations with public funds beyond demonstrable educational work. Full disclosure of all donations of €500 or more.
13. Independent anti-corruption authority: Modeled on the Romanian DNA (Directorate for Anti-Corruption Investigations) — completely independent of the Ministry of Justice, with its own budget and personnel authority.

 

CHAPTER B: ECONOMIC REFORMS

B.1 Reindustrialization and Economic Strategy 2030

Germany doesn't have to abandon its industrial base—it must transform it. The right answer to the pressure of deindustrialization is not subsidizing the status quo, but strategic modernization.

The five pillars of the DDS economic strategy:

Pillar 1: Energy strategy for competitiveness

14. Reverse the nuclear energy moratorium: Immediate return to the three power plants shut down in 2023 (Isar 2, Emsland, Neckarwestheim 2) as a transitional solution until 2035. Simultaneously, massive expansion of renewable energies WITHOUT the irrational rejection of all other sources.
15. Industrial electricity price guarantee: Introduction of a guaranteed industrial electricity price of a maximum of 6 ct/kWh for energy-intensive industries (steel, chemicals, aluminum) — financed through cross-subsidization from the emissions trading fund. Objective: To stop production relocations.
16. Hydrogen infrastructure: €15 billion in public investment in a national hydrogen network by 2032. Cooperation with Norway, North Africa and the Gulf States for green hydrogen imports.
17. Energy efficiency obligation: All industrial plants must submit a verifiable efficiency plan by 2030. Investment subsidies of up to 40% of the documented efficiency costs are available.

CALCULATION EXAMPLE

A 30% reduction in industrial electricity prices would save BASF alone approximately €500 million annually. For 10 comparable companies, that amounts to €5 billion – money that could be available for investments in Germany instead of being relocated abroad.

Pillar 2: Digitalization as a growth engine

18. Digital Agency Germany: A new, streamlined federal agency (max. 3,000 employees) with the authority to digitally transform the entire public administration. Budget: €5 billion for the first four years. Goal: To place Germany in the top five of the EU's digitalization ranking by 2030.
19. Fiber optics and 5G everywhere: A legally binding obligation to provide complete fiber optic coverage to all households by 2028. Obligation of telecommunications companies — or state takeover of the expansion at the expense of those who fail to comply.
20. AI Competence Clusters: Government support for 5 national AI clusters (Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne/Düsseldorf, Leipzig) that connect public research and private companies. Model: Singapore's FinTech ecosystem.
21. Digital Identity: Introduction of a voluntary, secure digital citizen identity by 2027. Interoperable with the EU Digital Framework. End of paper form chaos.

Pillar 3: Support for small and medium-sized enterprises and start-up culture

22. Reducing bureaucracy as priority number one: Introduction of the ' one in, two out' principle: For every new bureaucratic regulation, two must be abolished. Independent regulatory control council with veto power.
23. Tax-free first year: New businesses are fully tax-exempt in their first year and 50% tax-exempt in their second. Simplified commercial register registration: 24 hours, fully online, for €50.
24. Mittelstandsbank guarantees: KfW guarantees up to 5 million euros for companies with fewer than 250 employees for investments in digitalization, energy efficiency or training — without collateral requirements beyond the business plan.
25. Mandatory tendering: At least 30% of all public contracts up to €5 million must be awarded to companies with fewer than 250 employees. End of the large corporations' monopoly on public contracts.

Pillar 4: Skilled Workforce Strategy

26. Recognition Act 2.0: A fully digitalized, mandatory 4-week recognition procedure for all foreign professional qualifications. Currently, it takes 12–18 months. Every day of delay is wasted labor.
27. STEM education initiative: 10,000 new teaching positions for mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and technology in primary schools. Salary differentiation: STEM teachers receive 20% more than the basic rate.
28. Immigration corridors: Transparent, fast, digital immigration procedures for skilled workers. Decisions within 60 days. Model: The Canadian points system. No uncontrolled migration—but also no bureaucratic nightmare for urgently needed skilled workers.
29. Enabling work for retirees: Flexible pension models that allow older people to work part-time without pension deductions. Potential: 500,000 additional workers.

Pillar 5: Strategic Autonomy and Diversification

30. China risk management: Mandatory stress tests for companies with more than 30% of their revenue dependence on China. Government funding for diversification strategies in India, ASEAN, South America, and Africa.
31. Strategic reserves: National Strategic Fund for critical raw materials (lithium, cobalt, rare earths) — minimum stockpile for 12 months. Partnerships with resource-rich countries outside of China and Russia.
32. European technology champions: Germany is driving forward EU-wide consortia for semiconductors, batteries, and AI. Industrial policy must be conceived at the European level – and implemented nationally.

 

CHAPTER C: FINANCIAL REFORMS

C.1 Reform the debt brake — abolish the investment brake

The debt brake is a politically motivated instrument that confuses sound fiscal management with a refusal to invest. DDS does not call for uncontrolled borrowing—but rather for an intelligent distinction between consumption and investment spending.

The DDS fiscal model:

33. Golden rule for public finances: Current expenditures (salaries, social benefits, administration) must be balanced. Investment expenditures (infrastructure, education, research, digitalization) may be financed long-term — because they generate future returns.
34. Future Fund Germany: Establishment of a 100 billion euro future fund over 10 years (10 billion euros annually), financed by: digital tax on tech companies (approx. 3 billion euros/year), revenues from CO2 pricing (approx. 4 billion euros/year), limitation of tax subsidies (approx. 3 billion euros/year).
35. Investment priorities of the Future Fund: rail infrastructure (25%), schools and universities (25%), digital infrastructure (20%), energy network (20%), research and development (10%).
36. Debt transparency: Complete public disclosure of all government loans, interest rates, maturities, and uses of funds. Citizens can see online where their tax money is going, down to the last cent.

Investment Account

An investment of €10 billion in the rail network yields an estimated economic return of €35–50 billion after 20 years through productivity gains, tax revenues, and reductions in external costs (accidents, congestion, emissions). Not investing is actually the more expensive option.

C.2 Design a fair and efficient tax system

The German tax system is one of the most complicated in the world. It structurally favors the wealthy, harms the middle class and low-income earners, and creates gigantic tax avoidance opportunities for corporations.

Specific measures:

37. Income tax simplification: Abolition of joint taxation for married couples in its current form. Introduction of an individual basic tax allowance for each adult (increase from €11,604 to €15,000). Joint taxation structurally favors the non-working partner and is a subsidy for annual incomes exceeding €60,000.
38. Reactivate wealth tax: Reintroduce a 1% wealth tax on net assets exceeding €5 million. Exceptions for actively managed business assets up to €10 million. Estimated revenue: €12–18 billion annually.
39. Corporate minimum tax: Consistent implementation of the OECD minimum tax of 15% for multinational corporations. No special agreements, no tax rulings like those in Luxembourg.
40. VAT harmonization: Increase the reduced VAT rate on meat products from 7% to 19% (as is already the case for fruit and vegetables). Simultaneously: Abolition of VAT on basic foodstuffs (grains, vegetables, pulses, dairy products). The message: Healthy and organic products are favored, environmentally harmful ones are not.
41. Inheritance tax reform: Closing the loopholes for business assets that allow billions to be inherited practically tax-free. The tax-free allowance of €500,000 per inheritance remains. Beyond that: progressive inheritance tax of up to 35%.
42. National Digital Tax: Until an EU-wide agreement is reached: National digital tax of 3% on the turnover (not profit) of all digital companies with more than 750 million euros in annual turnover in Germany.

Tax measure	Estimated revenue/year	Main beneficiary
Wealth tax (from 5 million)	12–18 billion euros	Education, infrastructure
Inheritance tax reform	5–8 billion euros	Social welfare, pensions
Digital tax	3–4 billion euros	Future Fund
VAT harmonization	4–6 billion euros	Relief from basic income .
Minimum tax for corporations	7–10 billion euros	General household
IN TOTAL	31–46 billion euros	Society as a whole

C.3 Designing a sustainable and fair pension system

The German pension system is based on a generational contract that is becoming increasingly unsustainable due to demographic changes. It must be genuinely reformed—not with populist promises that the next generation will ultimately pay for.

43. Three-pillar stabilization: Pillar 1 (statutory pension) is stabilized by expanding the group of people subject to compulsory insurance (civil servants, self-employed individuals, stock market income). Goal: Everyone pays in — everyone benefits.
44. Equity-based pension as a supplement: Establishment of a state-run pension fund similar to the Norwegian oil fund. €10 billion in initial capital from the federal budget. Diversified into global equities and green bonds. Target return: 5–6% in the long term. Profits are paid into the statutory pension scheme.
45. Minimum pension: Introduction of an unconditional minimum pension of €1,200 net for everyone who has contributed for at least 30 years. Financed through a combination of tax and contribution revenue.
46. Retirement flexibility: Flexible retirement age between 60 and 70, with actuarially fair adjustments. Those who work longer receive more. Those who retire earlier receive less—but never below the minimum pension.

 

CHAPTER D: SOCIAL REFORMS

D.1 Education: Equal opportunities as a constitutional mandate

In no other OECD country is educational success as strongly dependent on social background as in Germany. This is not only unfair—it is economically irrational. Germany is massively wasting human capital.

47. Compulsory preschool from age 4: Free, high-quality early childhood education for all children from the age of 4. Not just childcare—real education. Research shows that every euro invested in early childhood education yields up to 7 euros in economic return.
48. Mandatory all-day schooling: By 2030, all federal states must be fully expanded to all-day schools. This should include a genuine educational concept , not just afternoon childcare.
49. Solve the teacher shortage structurally: 40,000 new teaching positions by 2030. Make the profession more attractive by: reducing the teaching load by 2 hours/week, 20% salary increase for schools in socially disadvantaged areas, reducing bureaucracy in teachers' work (50% less administrative duties).
50. University is tuition-free and accessible: No tuition fees, no return to fees. Instead: income-dependent loans for living expenses with repayment only required for annual incomes above €40,000.
51. Enhancing vocational training: Company-based training should be fully tax-deductible. Minimum remuneration for trainees: €800/month from the first year. Introduction of an equivalent vocational qualification points system to university degrees.

D.2 Health: Ending the two-tier healthcare system

Germany has a two-tier healthcare system. Whether you're a public or private patient determines waiting times, treatment quality, and access to specialists. This is medically and ethically unacceptable.

52. A unified national health insurance system: Merging statutory and private health insurance into a single, unified system. All types of income are subject to contributions (including capital income). Contributions are capped at €60,000 annual income. Result: More money in the system, equal quality for everyone.
53. Prevention as a priority: 10% of all healthcare spending is mandatory for prevention. Programs include: nutrition education in schools, free sports programs, smoking cessation programs fully covered, and mental health services doubled.
54. Combating the nursing shortage: Immediate action program: Nursing wages raised to at least €22 per hour (currently: €15–17). Goal: 80,000 new nurses by 2030 by making the profession more attractive. In parallel: Recruitment program from the EU and qualified third countries with expedited recognition of qualifications.
55. Digital health record: A unified, patient-controlled electronic health record. Data belongs to the patient. Access only with explicit consent. Ends duplicate examinations and information loss between doctors.

COST EXAMPLE

Duplicate examinations due to a lack of communication between patient records cost the German healthcare system an estimated 20–25 billion euros annually. A digital, interoperable health record fully pays for itself within three years.

D.3 Housing: End of speculation, beginning of the solution

The housing crisis is politically manufactured. It is the direct result of decades of misguided land policies, insufficient social housing, and tax incentives for speculation.

56. Radical property tax reform: Conversion of property tax to a pure land value tax (LVT). Taxation of the land value instead of the building value. Result: Speculation with undeveloped land becomes unprofitable. Construction becomes more attractive. Models: Singapore, Estonia, parts of the Netherlands.
57. Federal participation in social housing: The federal government's return to social housing construction. Goal: 400,000 new social housing units by 2032. Annual investment: €15 billion. Financing: Future Fund + property tax revenue from the LVT reform.
58. Vacancy tax : Apartments that remain vacant for more than 12 months without a proven reason are subject to an annual vacancy tax of 5% of the market value. Municipalities receive the revenue. Goal: To bring vacant properties back into the market.
59. Simplify building regulations: A uniform, nationwide building code instead of 16 state variations. Standardized approval procedures: maximum 90 days for standard buildings. Digital building submission – completely paperless.
60. Fairer homeownership promotion: Abolish the child benefit for home construction (it favors households that can already afford a house). Instead: A one-time purchase premium of €50,000 for families with a household income below €60,000 when buying their first property.

D.4 Migration and Integration: Realism instead of Ideology

The migration issue in Germany is discussed emotionally and ideologically—rarely realistically and pragmatically. DDS offers a clear, honest position: Germany needs migration. Germany must manage migration. Doing both simultaneously is possible.

61. Structured opening of legal migration: Expansion of legal immigration channels for skilled workers, students, and entrepreneurs. Simplified, digital visa process with a decision within 30 days.
62. Making the asylum system more efficient: Centralized, accelerated asylum procedures (max. 6 months) in federal centers. Immediate access to the labor market for applicants in shortage occupations after 90 days.
63. Deportations must be carried out consistently: Anyone whose asylum application is legally rejected will be deported consistently — with dignified treatment, but without exceptions based on political considerations. The law must apply equally to everyone.
64. Integration as an investment: Mandatory language courses (B2 level as the target) within the first 18 months. Mentoring program: each integration participant is assigned a German mentor from the professional field in which they wish to work. Costs: approximately €2 billion per year. Benefits: significantly greater.
65. Respect the capacity of municipalities: Fair, population-based distribution among municipalities. Federal funding for each person taken in: €1,200 per month for the first 24 months. Do not overburden municipalities — do not relieve municipalities of their burden.

 

CHAPTER E: ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE STRATEGY

E.1 Climate protection without economic self-destruction

Germany has set ambitious climate targets. That's right. But the way they are implemented is often irrational, counterproductive, and economically damaging. DDS calls for climate protection with logic.

66. Technological openness: No technology should be excluded a priori. Nuclear fusion (ITER), small modular reactors , carbon capture and storage, green hydrogen—all options are on the table. What matters: reducing emissions. Not: ideologically favoring certain technologies.
67. Making CO2 pricing effective: Raising the CO2 price to €150/ton by 2030 (currently around €65). 100% of the revenue returned to citizens: a climate dividend of approximately €1,200 annually for every adult. Result: Those who emit less benefit net. Climate justice.
68. Building renovation: Mandatory renovation quota of 3% of the total building stock annually. Full government funding for households with an annual income below €50,000. Zero-interest loans for all others.
69. Protecting biodiversity : Binding target: 30% of Germany's land area under nature protection by 2030 (up from approximately 16% currently). Organic farming: Double subsidies, introduce pesticide taxes.
70. Circular economy: Binding recycling quotas for all materials. Consistent expansion of the ban on single-use plastics. Repair bonus: Tax deductibility of repairs up to €500 per person per year.

CALCULATE CLIMATE DIVIDEND

With a CO2 price of €150/ton and total German emissions of approximately 675 million tons of CO2, the revenue would be around €101 billion. Divided by 70 million adults, this equates to approximately €1,440 per person per year. The poorest 60% of the population would benefit net. Climate protection and distributive justice combined.

 

CHAPTER F: INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS AND THE DDS MODEL

F.1 The DDS principle for Germany: Shared leadership

DirectDemocracyS proposes the gradual introduction of elements of shared leadership at the institutional level in Germany — starting with municipalities and districts as pilot projects.

71. Local micro-groups as advisory bodies: In municipalities with over 5,000 inhabitants, five-member citizen consultation groups are established (according to the DDS micro-group model: 1 → 5 → 25 → 125 → 625). These groups advise municipal councils on all projects exceeding €500,000.
72. Collective ownership of public infrastructure: Waterworks, energy networks, and public transport remain publicly owned. No more privatization of strategic infrastructure. Municipalities must repurchase privatized basic services within 10 years.
73. Meritocratic administration: Introduction of a transparent competency evaluation system for civil servants and managers in public administration. Promotion based on performance, results, and citizen feedback—not on seniority and party loyalty.
74. Mutual accountability: Every public institution produces an annual public accountability report with measurable KPIs. Citizens can submit ratings. Negative ratings automatically trigger external audits.

F.2 Security and Justice: Functionality instead of symbolic politics

Internal security is a core responsibility of the state. In Germany, it is sometimes underfunded, sometimes discussed ideologically — and rarely solved pragmatically.

75. Police: Increased presence, better equipped: 20,000 additional police officers nationwide by 2030. Immediate modernization of equipment (digital communication, protective gear, vehicle fleet). Mandatory training in de-escalation and intercultural competence.
76. Judicial reform: Elimination of the structural underfunding of the judiciary. Goal: To conclude court proceedings in an average of no more than 18 months (currently: 36+ months in civil cases). Judges' salaries to the top third compared to EU standards.
77. Cybersecurity as a state responsibility: Natural critical infrastructure (energy grid, water supply, healthcare system) under direct federal protection against cyberattacks. 3 billion euros annually for the BSI (Federal Office for Information Security).
78. A crime policy without double standards: Consistent prosecution of white-collar crime (tax evasion, economic fraud, corruption) with the same resources as street crime. Currently, the clearance rate for white-collar crime is dramatically lower than for simple theft.

 

PART III: IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND TIMEFRAME

Phase 1: Immediate measures (Years 1–2)

These measures do not require constitutional amendments or lengthy legislative procedures — they can be implemented immediately if there is political will.

measure	Responsibility	Timeframe	Costs/Savings
Lobby register complete	Bundestag	6 months	0 costs
Digitizing recognition procedures	BMBF + BMI	12 months	50 million investment .
Entry into a digital agency	BMI	6 months	1 billion start
Immediate care allowance	BMG	immediately	3 billion/year
Consistent minimum corporate tax	BMF	immediately	+7 billion/year
National vacancy survey	municipalities	12 months	0 costs
AI Cluster Seed Funding	BMBF	12 months	500 million

Phase 2: Structural reforms (Years 3–5)

These measures require legislation, possibly constitutional amendments, and broad parliamentary majorities. They are the core of the reform program.

• Referendum rights at the federal level (constitutional amendment, 2/3 majority)
• Tax reform: wealth tax, inheritance tax, VAT harmonization
• Debt brake reform and future fund law
• Universal national health insurance
• Nationally standardized educational standards (amendment to the Basic Law regarding educational sovereignty)
• Property tax-LVT conversion (Federal Law)
• Three-pillar pension stabilization

Phase 3: System Transformation (Years 6–10)

The profound institutional changes take time — for political consensus, social acceptance and structural change.

• Country mergers following referendums
• Full digital administration ( Estonian model)
• Unified national insurance fully implemented
• Energy system fully renewable
• DDS micro-groups as a regular component of local democracy
• Germany in the top 5 of the EU digitalization ranking
• 30% of nature conservation area achieved

 

PART IV: EXPECTED CONSEQUENCES

4.1 Positive consequences of full implementation

Area	Expected result after 10 years	Time horizon
GDP growth	Recurrence rate of 2–2.5% annually	5–8 years
Industrial production	+15% compared to 2024	7–10 years
Public trust	Public confidence increased from 25% to 50%+	4–6 years
Educational equality	PISA ranking improved from 25th to top 10	8–10 years
Energy costs for industry	Return to EU midfield	3–5 years
New residential construction	400,000 new social housing units	8 years
Child poverty	From 21% to under 10%	6–8 years
CO2 emissions	-65% compared to 1990 (EU target achieved)	10 years
Skilled worker shortage	Halving through integration and education	5–7 years
State budget	Structurally balanced + future fund	7–10 years

4.2 Challenges and Risks

Every reform program has risks. We name them honestly:

• Political resistance: Every measure proposed here will create losers—primarily among those favored by the current system: lobby groups, party apparatuses, and investors in speculative real estate. This resistance will be massive.
• Implementation capacity: Germany has a chronically overburdened administration. Extensive reforms require administrative capacities that must be developed before the reforms can take effect.
• Economic risks: External shocks (geopolitical, economic, pandemic) can shift timeframes and change financing fundamentals.
• Social acceptance: Measures such as universal health insurance, wealth tax, or the re-licensing of nuclear power are socially controversial. Without democratic legitimacy—through referendums and transparent processes—they will fail.

HONESTY

DDS doesn't promise miracles. We promise: If these measures are implemented consistently, competently, and with political will, Germany will be significantly better positioned in 10 years than it is today. This isn't utopian. It's logical.

 

CONCLUSION: A CHOICE FOR THE FUTURE

Germany stands at a crossroads. One path is the path of business as usual: minor adjustments, symbolic reforms, coalition compromises that hurt no one and change nothing. This path leads to long-term decline.

The other path is the path of honest, logical, and consistent change. It requires courage—from politicians, from citizens, from businesses. It requires a willingness to relinquish old privileges. It requires what DDS considers the foundation of all political work: truth, competence, and mutual respect.

DirectDemocracyS is not a party in the traditional sense. We are not running to seize power. We are running to distribute power—to the citizens, to the communities, to future generations. Each member holds a single, non-transferable share. No one can buy us. No one can take us over. This is our structural advantage over the system we want to change.

This program is a start. It is open to discussion, criticism, and improvement. We invite every German citizen to contribute their ideas, participate, and help shape its future. Direct democracy doesn't begin with elections. It begins now.

Logic • Reason • Truth • Competence • Mutual Respect directdemocracys.org | public.directdemocracys.org

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