Young Liberals (Germany)

Junge Liberale (Young Liberals), commonly referred to as the JuLis, a political youth organization in Germany. It is the financially and organisationally independent youth wing of the Freie Demokratische Partei (Free Democratic Party). The JuLis have about 10,000 members, making it the third largest youth organisation in Germany.

Political Profile

The current policy statement of the JuLis was passed in 1994. It is called "Humanistic Liberalism", focussing on market economy and civil liberties, being supplemented by the democratic resolutions of regular congresses.

The political objectives of the JuLis mostly aim to the same general objectives as the FDP, however they often differ in details. The Young Liberals advocate civil liberty, sociopolitics and an ecological social market economy.The JuLis focus on freedom, self-responsibility, equality of opportunity, deregulation and reducing the state's influence to its core competences such as it's monopoly of power, the prevention from economic cartels and ensuring nobody has to live below the subsistence level.

The Young Liberals often perceive themselves as the policy making stimulus of the FDP and try to propose innovations into the party, sometimes succeeding e.g. in the FDP's decision to challenge the abandonment of the German compulsory military service, to support the concept of an ecological social market economy and a new system for the unemployment and social support, called "Bürgergeld" (German).

History

The JuLis were founded in 1980, and was recognized as the official FDP youth wing in 1983.Prior to 1982 Jungdemokraten had been the FDP youth organization.

Persons

Chairpersons

*Hans-Joachim Otto (1980-1983)
*Guido Westerwelle (1983-1988)
*Georg Neubauer (1988-1989)
*Hermann Brem (1989)
*Birgit Homburger (1990-1993)
*Ralph Lange (1993-1995)
*Michael Kauch (1995-1999)
*Daniel Bahr (1999-2004)
*Jan Dittrich (2004-2005)
*Johannes Vogel (2005-)

Current Members of the Bundestag

*Jens Ackermann, MdB
*Daniel Bahr, MdB
*Miriam Gruß, MdB
*Horst Meierhofer, MdB
*Jan Mücke, MdB
*Marina Schuster, MdB
*Florian Toncar, MdB

Current Members of the European Parliament

*Alexander Nuno Alvaro, MEP

International relations

The JuLis is a full member organization of the European Liberal Youth (LYMEC), a pan-European umbrella of liberal youth organizations. On the international level, the JuLis are the German member of the International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY).

External links

* [http://www.julis.de/ Young Liberals (JuLis)] official site (in German)
* [http://www.bund.inhalte.julis.de/ Program and resolutions] (in German)