Statement by EES President Dr Ingo Friedrich, September 11th, 2025

How many more crises can we withstand?

In the current situation, citizens appreciate political parties' willingness to compromise, but no longer their tendency to “prioritize the interests of their own clientele”.

Reading the newspaper can be truly overwhelming; one crisis follows another:

War in Ukraine

War in Gaza

Trade dispute with the USA

France in debt and without a functioning government

The automotive industry under pressure

Social welfare programs no longer financially sustainable

How are ordinary citizens supposed to still sleep peacefully under these circumstances? What we need now is not yet more alarming analyses, but rather some ideas and suggestions about how things could or should move forward.

Let us try it: 

Ukraine: there must and hopefully will soon be an end to this conflict, because all parties involved are now paying such a high price that no one can afford it anymore, not even the Russians.

The same applies to Gaza. If Netanyahu wants to survive this disaster, he will have to stop the bombing at some point, and quite soon, really.

The trade crisis: Trump's erratic policies will come to an end sooner or later. Either he will face a crushing defeat in the midterm elections in 18 months, or he will change his policies to be more predictable and less disruptive.

France: if things really come to a head, any French government will be forced to take drastic austerity measures. The fact that such an approach is both possible and effective is evident from the example of Greece. For instance, Athens cut pensions by more than 30 percent! Just a few years ago, Greece was a country on the brink of collapse, but today it has a thriving economy, is paying its interest payments, and is even discussing tax cuts. So, it can be done; it just takes the political will.

Automotive industry: Yes, unfortunately, China has overtaken us to a considerable extent in this sector. There is only one way to address this: we need to improve, and improve even further! The cars of the future will offer luxury, entertainment, and comfort, all at affordable prices. Achieving this will not be easy, but it is not an impossible task either.

The welfare state: this is the area where the fate of the federal government will be decided! The two governing parties must understand that in this crisis situation, voters no longer value pandering to their own base; instead, they appreciate the ability to find compromises! The FDP failed precisely because of this; while its constant opposition may have boosted its profile, its unwillingness to compromise ultimately led to its downfall at the ballot box. Those who can listen should take heed and learn from this!

Dr. Ingo Friedrich