State election in Rhineland-Palatinate: What the Free Voters say about craft policy

Ahead of the state elections in Rhineland-Palatinate, the parliamentary groups represented in the state parliament are answering questions on issues related to skilled trades policy. Here you will find the answers from the Free Voters parliamentary group.

State elections will be held in Rhineland-Palatinate on March 22, 2026. In the run-up to the election, the trade associations have published their demands. In them, they outline the framework conditions necessary to secure the future viability of the trades in the state. We asked the Free Voters – as well as the other parliamentary groups represented in the state parliament – ​​how they feel about these demands. Demands of the skilled trades regarding the state elections They stand and what their positions are.

➡️ You can find the positions of the other factions here. via this link

Chairman of the Free Voters parliamentary group for the Rhineland-Palatinate state election on March 22nd is Helge Schwab, the domestic policy spokesperson is Patrick Künz. 

DHB: How do you intend to improve the framework conditions for the skilled trades – what will you, as the future state government, do to ensure that an "industrial electricity tariff" also reaches the skilled trades?
Free Voters: Our fundamental principle is that no single sector of the economy can be favored while others are left behind. We have the impression that previous calls for an "industrial electricity tariff" have primarily focused on large manufacturing companies and their facilities. The fact that smaller craft businesses also produce goods and have significant energy costs has clearly been overlooked. Therefore, it remains up to individual businesses to negotiate with their energy suppliers. They are largely left to their own devices, as they lack a sound basis for negotiation.

However, the truth is that the influence of a single state government on decisions at the federal level is limited. Of course, we can contact the responsible Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, but if we were to participate in the federal government, we would primarily focus on initiatives in the Bundesrat (Federal Council). We need to ensure that the states work together to exert the necessary pressure. This could all be prepared with a state-level "energy summit."

Regardless of political affiliation, everyone shares the same interest: to promote the economy through sound decisions. In recent months, we in the state parliament have repeatedly mobilized and warned against measures that would increase energy costs. One example is the Rhineland-Palatinate climate protection law, tightened by the traffic light coalition and its parliamentary group, which aims for climate neutrality for businesses by 2040, not 2045 as had been the consensus. This is justified, among other things, by the desire to make businesses more competitive. They apparently assume that a rapid conversion of businesses' energy supplies will not be a problem. However, experience shows that the conversion must be carefully planned and implemented in several stages. It's not that business owners don't want to change. Quite the contrary. They simply need time. The traffic light coalition fails to recognize this problem.

Even worse: The infrastructure is inadequate. Wind turbines and solar parks are constantly being added, while the expansion of grid and storage capacities lags behind. The result: Energy supply is becoming unreliable. Against this backdrop, it is outrageous to further increase energy costs through CO2 tax hikes. We must address this – and make our voices heard together at the federal level.

DHB: How do you intend to reduce bureaucracy?
Free Voters: The topic of reducing bureaucracy has been discussed for years, and there have even been heated debates on it in the state parliament. However, the fact remains that bureaucracy is constantly increasing. A prime example is the certification mania that has been rampant since the 1990s, with its associated regular renewals.

There's a lot of talk about digitalization these days, but little about the fact that it has brought further legal pitfalls. A simple example: websites, including those linked to online shops and social media activities. Even for small businesses, the legal requirements have become so stringent that operators have to expect to receive cease-and-desist letters with fines in the five-figure range. This drives up costs because external experts have to be brought in and, of course, paid.

Another example is the fact that the more lucrative contracts must be tendered Europe-wide. For craft businesses, this means they have to navigate legal territory completely unrelated to their core business. The result: increased costs, because they often have to consult lawyers to ensure compliance with the required standards. In this respect, the EU is more of a curse than a blessing for smaller businesses. It's also worth remembering the (power) battles with building authorities. Architects and authorized construction workers often have to submit applications multiple times, both in paper and digital formats, because several officials are involved. This lengthens the approval process – and consequently, the planning phases for construction companies. We therefore need to streamline internal administrative processes to truly accelerate the construction industry.

In practice, the desire to reduce bureaucracy leads to the creation of working groups and thus to more bureaucracy. This is a vicious cycle that is difficult to break. We have become prisoners of laws, regulations, statutes, and evaluations. It would therefore be presumptuous to promise that we will immediately dismantle bureaucracy if we were to participate in government. What we can say, however, is that we will reduce it wherever possible. However, we would not be able to act alone. After all, we have coalition partners.

DHB: How do the Free Voters want to advance the education initiative and strengthen the – also social – equality of dual vocational training and university studies in the future?
Free Voters: From our perspective, your definition of an education initiative starts far too late. The reality is that the number of children who are not ready for school and therefore, in the long run, unable to pursue vocational training, is steadily increasing. That's why our education initiative begins much earlier. Unfortunately, the state parliament rejected our demand for a mandatory preschool year in primary schools. And this despite the fact that a preschool year is standard practice in several European countries.

One example is France. The conclusion: We must first establish school readiness before we can speak of an initiative. High-profile school projects alone are not enough; they do not solve these problems in the long run. Another issue is that learning in schools is too insufficiently oriented towards real-life situations. The number of students who lack even the most basic skills is increasing.

Added to this are immense weaknesses in arithmetic. Many master craftsmen throw their hands up in despair when they supervise new apprentices. We have to address this. Mathematics instruction, in particular, must be more application-oriented and geared towards the future demands of the professional world.

Regarding the issue of equivalence of qualifications, it must be clearly stated that we have achieved a great deal in recent years. One example is that university access is now generally possible without a high school diploma or vocational diploma. The education system is more permeable today than ever before, and that is a good thing. We also point to new qualifications such as the Bachelor Professional, which essentially puts practitioners on equal footing with academics. From our perspective, while the issue of equivalence of qualifications is very important, it would be irresponsible to pretend that nothing has been achieved.

From our perspective, it's crucial that much remains to be done to improve the image of skilled trades. While vocational preparation classes in secondary schools have been expanded, it's still not widely known that a journeyman can become a proud master craftsman or engineer with their own business. In this context, more promotion is needed for dual study programs that combine vocational training with a bachelor's degree. The range of subjects offered in this area has room for improvement. We need to intensify our efforts not only to attract young people but also to attract businesses. If there's sufficient demand, the chances of establishing further degree programs increase. Currently, business-related subjects dominate. We need a broader spectrum.

DHB: How do you intend to boost housing construction and modernize the infrastructure?
Free Voters: The constant tightening of building regulations, coupled with the explosion of costs due to the so-called energy transition, makes affordable construction impossible. Furthermore, since reunification, the federal and state governments have gradually withdrawn from their responsibility for social housing and sold large portions of their own housing stock to private investors who, naturally, are obligated to maximize profits in the interest of their owners. This is not inherently wrong, but this development has led to a general decline in housing construction. This has direct and, above all, detrimental consequences for the skilled trades.

The burden is simply passed on to the municipalities, which have to salvage what they can through their own municipal housing companies. To solve the problem, the federal and state governments would have to provide significantly more funding – far beyond the "special funds" that were allocated indiscriminately and therefore will have little impact at the regional and local levels. Even existing programs, such as those offered by the KfW (German Development Bank) and the Investment and Structural Bank of Rhineland-Palatinate, cannot generate the necessary impact. What we need are incentives that motivate investors to invest in more affordable housing solutions. Above all, we need a massive reduction in the regulatory maze that unnecessarily inflates construction costs.

It is long overdue to streamline and harmonize state building codes. It can't be right that every federal state is doing its own thing. Regarding infrastructure, it should be noted that more is finally being done. The key issues are railways and roads, which are currently causing inconvenience for commuters. However, it is also clear that this is not enough. Because of a lack of funds, investments are not being made to the extent that are actually needed. The result: other countries are overtaking us, and we risk Germany permanently losing its attractiveness as a business location. The only solution is a thorough review of finances at all levels and a reform of the financial equalization system between the federal government, states, and municipalities. We must examine where and how we can find alternative funding, for example, by cutting funding for activities and subsidizing organizations that are not beneficial to us.

How do you intend to boost housing construction and/or modernize the infrastructure? 
Free Voters: Even though improvements have recently been made in Rhineland-Palatinate, we need an open-ended review of the financing. Currently, we still see no room for investment by municipalities. Quite the contrary. The tasks that have been shifted from higher to lower levels over the years are consuming all available resources. In this context, we should remember the exploding social welfare costs that municipalities have to manage, even though they bear no responsibility for this development.

As Free Voters, we advocate for a reform of the municipal financial equalization system, thereby ensuring a permanently improved financial situation for municipalities. This would create more room for investment. In our view, the state government's policy of making minor adjustments with programs and small initiatives does not bring about sustainable improvements. We need more pragmatism and less knee-jerk reaction.

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