Traffic jams or politics: A dangerous journey into the election season!

On January 11, 2025, the Schwäbische Post devoted an article by Jürgen Steck to thoughts about traffic congestion and political parties. The author, who is returning home at the end of the holidays, takes the opportunity to reflect on the reform backlog in Germany and how the Swabian Post can initiate the election campaign phase.

Steck draws a comparison between traffic jams and political parties. He describes the positions of the various parties: The FDP gives priority to higher earners in traffic jams, the CDU focuses on strengthening and expanding roads, while the Greens promote rail transport. The AfD calls for foreigners to be expelled so that Germans can travel freely, while the SPD sees the traffic jam as a social democratic phenomenon in which everyone moves forward at the same speed. In order to help voters, reference is made to the Schwäbische Post election check, which deals with important topics such as security, tax justice, Ukraine, mobility, pensions and migration. The election check includes interviews with six direct candidates from the parties represented in the Bundestag and is part of the Schwäbische Post's election offensive, which also includes panel discussions and reports.

Political unity and disagreement on mobility issues

In another report, the Tagesschau discusses the agreement among all parties on the transfer of goods from road to rail and waterways. At the same time, however, there are significant differences, especially when it comes to the issue of speed limits on motorways: While the Greens and the Left Party are in favor, the Union and the FDP reject such a limit.

The CDU/CSU is planning additional funding for transport infrastructure amounting to 25 billion euros for highways and supports the shift of freight transport to rail and waterways. There are also calls for the expansion of car sharing and rental bike models, while a general speed limit on motorways is rejected.

The SPD sees mobility as an economically, socially just and ecologically sensible task and aims to drastically reduce traffic jams by shifting more traffic to rail and waterways. She rejects the privatization of the railway and wants to improve punctuality and reliability in rail transport.

The FDP, on the other hand, focuses on maintaining and expanding transport routes, especially roads, and supports long trucks and the abolition of a general speed limit. Another concern of the FDP is the legalization of radar warning devices.

The Left calls for “mobility for all – with less traffic” and aims for free local public transport in the long term, which should be financed through taxes. The party speaks out emphatically against rail privatization and would like to increase taxation on road transport.

The Greens are focusing on sustainable mobility and would like to shift freight transport from roads to rail and waterways. They are also calling for a general speed limit of 120 km/h on motorways.

These political positions show the complex views on mobility issues and illustrate the complexity of the discussion in the run-up to the next elections.