ALDE Party member FDP held their traditional Three Kings rally in Stuttgart, where Secretary-General Nicole Büttner delivered a simple message: liberal politics must respond to growing political apathy, not retreat into populism.
She acknowledged how easy it is to feel overwhelmed, but disengagement is not an option for those who want real change. “I know it’s easy to turn away, but those who want to shape the future cannot turn away.”
Some cling to old ideas, others look for someone to blame, while populists promise easy fixes without real solutions. Büttner argued that liberal politics is about moving forward and defending freedom by trusting people to shape their own lives.
FDP state chair Hans-Ulrich Rülke warned that the economy in Baden-Württemberg is struggling. Jobs are being lost and companies are considering moving production abroad. More red tape, he said, will only deepen the problem.
Cutting bureaucracy is no longer a technical debate. Rülke also pushed for a more modern state, pointing out that digital services should make everyday life easier instead of trapping people in outdated systems.
At the heart of the rally was a belief that societies move forward when people are trusted. Freedom means fewer forms, more time to actually work, young families able to afford homes and people confident enough to speak openly.
With regional elections approaching, the message became a call to step up and get involved. Liberal values only survive when people are willing to defend them.
“Freedom is not abstract,” Büttner concluded. “Freedom is concrete and worth fighting for.”