Thomas Straubhaar Quotations

There is an incredible stand-still in the labor market. Well-meant protection comes at the expense of reduced labor participation.

We have gotten used to this five million people unemployed, and to a public deficit that's 4 percent of GDP, and with a zero growth economy. Germany is still wealthy enough to maintain a European standard of living for the next 5 to 10 years.

Even if it sounds odd, it's true that -- given the current regulations -- Germany is dependent on illegal employment of foreign laborers.

Compared to the United States, ... there is no clear message from the CDU about an individualist, market-oriented economic policy. The program is piecemeal. It's not a vision. It's a sort of muddling through. These are programs that may help give some economic benefits, but it's definitely not something that you could call a conclusive economic program.

The increase in value-added tax will leave skid marks on the economy in 2007. If there has to be any tax increase at all, it should be spread over three years.