Political Principles of the ZDH

The ZDH is committed to the social market economy and to an SME policysupporting the competition on a high level. It aims at establishing political and legal framework conditions which give small and medium-sized enterprises the freedom they need to develop their potential as employers and trainers.

With this in mind, the ZDH opposes excessive state interventionism, restrictions on private property or collective bargaining rights and the abuse of market power. The commitment to the principle of subsidiarity also means that services which can be provided by the private sector or through self-administration should not be attended to by the state. The ZDH campaigns against competitive disadvantages for skilled crafts SMEs.

This applies in particular to the development of the digital economy and society, to the fields of energy and environmental policy, business finance, as well as fiscal and financial policy. ZDH is calling for a fundamental simplification of tax law and for an easing of the burden on companies by reducing both government spending ratios and public debt.

In the opinion of the skilled crafts sector, social policy should be linked to financial viability and intergenerational justice with a focus on mutual safe-guarding against basic life risks ZDH advocates the need for individual personal responsibility. For labour-intensive skilled craft companies, the level of social security contributions is of major importance.

The skilled crafts sector plays a prominent role in providing rural areas with goods and services, as well as jobs and apprenticeships. ZDH is a strong advocate for making rural areas fit for the future in a sustainable way.

A special emphasis in the representation by the ZDH of the interests of the skilled crafts is on the area of education policy. Its objective is the equivalence of vocational and general education. A guarantee of success for the skilled crafts and a factor for the competitiveness of German economy in general is provided by the „German dual system“ of vocational qualification.