Christian Dürr on the new FDP: "I too must change"

Next week, the FDP will begin its mission to return to the Bundestag. At the party conference in Berlin, delegates will elect a new chairman. It will most likely be former parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr. In an interview, he explains what he wants to do differently – and why he has two Minis.

ntv.de: Mr. Dürr, a new Chancellor has just been elected. Did you feel sorry for Mr. Merz after the failed first round of voting?

Christian Dürr: It's not about pity. I want Germany to have a government capable of taking action. But I fear this government is unstable. Because, in truth, it's not really united. I think the members of parliament realize that their coalition agreement isn't sustainable.

The FDP also wants to remain viable for the future. You've left the Bundestag since March. What have you been doing since then?

I spoke with many people, both inside and outside the FDP. I wanted to clarify what our future mission is and what my role is as a potential party leader.

And what conclusion did you come to?

One of the results is my nomination for the position of Secretary General, Nicole Büttner. It's certainly unusual to nominate a successful AI entrepreneur. But we now also need to break new ground in terms of personnel. People feel that Germany needs to change. This also affects the political parties, and therefore there will be changes in our team as well.

But you yourself were already a front-runner in the FDP as parliamentary group leader. How does that fit together?

Of course, we need a mix of new minds and familiar faces. But I also need to change. Appointing a successful startup entrepreneur as Secretary General is new and unconventional. One thing we want to do differently is work more as a team.

The FDP is meeting next weekend. Party conferences are always meant to send a message. What will it be this time: "We're still alive" or "Don't forget us"?

No, the message must be: The Free Democrats are a force to be reckoned with. We want to become the most modern party in Germany, both organizationally and in terms of policy. We face a difficult situation internationally. People feel like Germany is on the decline. But our problems are of our own making. We're no longer growing. Many young families are wondering whether they can still build something for their old age. 250,000 young, well-educated people leave Germany every year. There must be a party that thinks outside the box and has new ideas.

So far, you've barely distanced yourself from long-time chairman Christian Lindner. Will things now continue as before, following the motto: 2025 was an industrial accident?

No, we will also renew ourselves in terms of content. But I don't define myself by distancing myself from others. When we talked about the economy in the past, too few people felt it had anything to do with them. But it does. People sense: things can't go on like this. Our country needs a bold reform policy.

So, as always with the FDP: lower taxes.

Cutting taxes isn't an end in itself. We did cut taxes under the traffic light coalition. But people still don't have more money in their pockets because social security contributions are rising. The new government has no plan for this, nothing. Things should just continue as before.

The CDU/CSU and SPD have declared economic growth a priority. That's exactly what you want.

We all agree on that. I don't know of any party that opposes economic growth. But it's about the right concepts. Mr. Klingbeil announces that electricity prices should fall. But in the future, taxpayers will subsidize electricity prices through the federal budget. Klingbeil isn't mentioning that. That's not a reform concept; it's a sleight of hand.

But someone has to pay for the electricity.

Yes, how about a new energy policy? Shutting down nuclear power was counterproductive for climate protection. For example, we have much higher per capita CO2 emissions than France. But we also need a different migration policy. It must be easier to come to Germany to work than to come to Germany not to work.

You have already passed the Skilled Immigration Act with the traffic light coalition and praised it as a major achievement.

It was a first step, and the law is having an impact. But I can imagine much more, and that failed back then because of the SPD. I don't see any efforts in this area from the CDU/CSU and SPD now.

Back to energy policy: What is wrong with the expansion of renewable energies?

What's wrong with this is that the government regulates everything in detail. I'm not against the expansion of renewable energies. But politicians must stop making decisions about technologies. If the grid expansion is implemented as planned, it will cost taxpayers and electricity customers at least half a trillion euros.

But you don't seriously want to go back to nuclear power, do you?

We must also be open to new forms of nuclear energy, of course! We're talking about small reactors and nuclear fusion, which is a new type of nuclear energy. In Germany, we always list 20 reasons why something won't work. I'm not satisfied with that. We need to get back to saying: Something works, let's try it out. It's the same with AI. Germany and Europe were the first to regulate everything. How about trying things out first and allowing enthusiasm for new things to grow?

When it comes to freedom, it's always a question of which and whose freedom is meant. Sometimes one gets the impression that the FDP is primarily concerned with the freedom to drive at 180 km/h on the highway.

No, that's not the point. Yes, I think a speed limit is nonsense. But the more exciting debate is how we can actually ensure that people spend less time in traffic. One way to do that is with more AI in road traffic. Let's talk about that. Or take the example of the self-employed. They are harassed to the point of insanity. The idea of ​​freedom is to achieve something yourself. We don't want to boss people around and accompany them through life, but rather provide a good starting point for everyone. That's why the FDP is also a party of education.

You continue to cling firmly to the debt brake. But you recently proposed 300 billion euros in debt for the Bundeswehr, and you also wanted to continue using old Corona billions for the start of the traffic light coalition. Isn't that a misnomer?

The debt brake forces politicians to exercise restraint. At the same time, it is flexible and would have allowed for €50 billion in new debt this year. That's why it's crazy to abolish the debt brake, as the CDU/CSU/SPD/Greens coalition plans to do. But we are not dogmatic. We see the new geopolitical challenges. That's why we proposed a defense fund.

The new debt options should also give us the freedom to do something: to renew the Bundeswehr and the infrastructure.

That's the real misrepresentation. In the actual federal budget, spending on defense and infrastructure is actually decreasing. This creates new opportunities for political wishful thinking. Markus Söder is already celebrating his new electric car subsidies. Political reforms require courage. I believe people are willing to support reforms. But they won't accept politicians being cowardly.

Freedom, modernity, courage—that sounds good. But if it comes down to tax cuts and social cuts, many would also have something to lose. Why should I vote for the FDP if I have a middle or low income?

If I have a middle income, half of my money goes to the government. I'm no longer able to build a house or buy an apartment. I notice my wealth declining. These are precisely the people we're concerned about. They work hard, but don't want to be subsidized by the government. They want more freedom. Do we really have too few social services? We have a different problem. Hard work isn't rewarded enough.

It's safe to assume that you'll be elected party chairman. It would be the pinnacle of your party career. But how did it all begin? How did you join the FDP?

I spent a year in the United States as a student in the mid-90s and returned full of energy. A friend approached me and asked if I wanted to join the Young Liberals. At first, it sounded about as interesting to me as chess club. But at the meeting, I discovered my passion for politics, the struggle for the best course of action, and debate. As a student, I had no idea that there was a party that championed freedom and personal responsibility. That's when I found my home in the FDP.

Mr. Lindner is a classic car fan and owns an old Porsche. What kind of car do you drive?

I have an old Mini in the garage, built in '94, with a wooden steering wheel. It's a Rover, so before the new models were available. Unfortunately, it's not running anymore and needs repairs. Personally, I actually drive a Mini, but a newer model.

Volker Petersen spoke with Christian Dürr