Thomas Sattelberger, a former manager at Telekom and an FDP Member of the Bundestag, who previously served as a Parliamentary State Secretary in the “Ampel” coalition government, plans to return to an economy-centric political agenda with his new movement, “Die Economisten.”
According to reports from the “Tagesspiegel”, Sattelberger advocates for reinstating the 40-hour work week within established industries and insists that reducing dismissal protection is essential. Furthermore, he argues that immigration into social systems must be halted, focusing solely on attracting qualified skilled labor.
Sattelberger and his partners-composed of respected economists, entrepreneurs, and business scientists-founded the association. Regarding its political alignment, Sattelberger made clear that cooperation with extremist elements within the AfD is impossible, but that non-extremist AfD members and voters are welcome.
The group aims to contest elections-potentially participating in the state parliament elections in Lower Saxony in 2027 or in Hesse in 2028, with the ultimate goal of running in the 2029 federal elections.
He explained that the impetus for creating this new political force stems from a perceived lack of substantive knowledge within both the government and the Bundestag. He stated that politics has become a “closed bubble” incapable of preventing societal division, noting that politics has alienated itself from the professional realities of people. Sattelberger added that many inside the political sphere no longer understand the daily experiences of employees and entrepreneurs, which subsequently leads to a diminished grasp of economic issues.
