The left candidate Jakob Migenda

Five questions for Jakob Migenda

How do you intend to strengthen the educational landscape at the federal level, and how can schools and educational institutions in your constituency specifically benefit from this?

We want a good education to no longer depend on parents' financial means. To achieve this, we want a school for all that can support children individually, instead of sorting them at age 10 and limiting their life opportunities. Furthermore, we must invest sufficiently in good schools. We have a €115 billion investment backlog in schools and universities, while €100 billion is simply poured into military spending. This money would be better spent on schools. Expanding the number of kindergarten places is also very important to me. I come from East Germany, where full-day childcare is completely normal. This must also be possible in Darmstadt.

What measures do you support at the federal level to better manage migration, and how do you intend to ensure that these are implemented in a socially responsible manner in your constituency?

We unequivocally support the fundamental right to asylum. We will not participate in the competition to deport as many people as possible to dangerous countries, a competition in which even Habeck is now taking part. Instead, municipalities must receive sufficient funding from the federal government to fulfill their responsibilities, and all people living here must have access to the labor market and education. Deporting skilled workers is pointless, even from a purely economic perspective.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are considered the backbone of the German economy. What federal policy measures do you plan to implement to strengthen SMEs, and how can you provide targeted support to companies in your region?

Good wages and good working conditions are the key to combating the skilled worker shortage, which is why we advocate for a minimum wage of €15 and stronger collective bargaining agreements. We also want to boost public investment and replace the debt brake with the Golden Rule. Both of these measures will also strengthen domestic consumption, which will particularly benefit small and medium-sized enterprises that produce and sell regionally.

How do you intend to promote a sustainable energy transition nationwide, and how can local initiatives and projects in your constituency be given greater support?

As the Left, we advocate for a socially just and, wherever possible, decentralized energy transition. We support subsidies for replacing heating systems so that people with low incomes don't have to pay anything, and even those in the middle class receive subsidies of up to 82%. Our plan also benefits municipalities. They receive a bonus of €25,000 per megawatt of installed wind turbine or large-scale photovoltaic system.

What federal policy priorities do you set to advance the expansion of infrastructure in your constituency, and how can you ensure that the interests of your region are heard in Berlin?

Infrastructure development must not be driven by mere local patriotism. Infrastructure must be built where it is needed and in a way that benefits everyone. This can also be clearly defined within the constituency. This ranges from the necessary construction of the Frankfurt-Mannheim ICE high-speed rail line and the associated improved regional train connections to Wiesbaden, to at least hourly service for all towns and villages in the DaDi district and a permanent and effective replacement for the DaDi-Liner bus service.

Summary of the election program for the 2025 election

I work in Frankfurt's red-light district. Every morning on my way to work, I see the glittering bank towers above and abject poverty on the streets. Nowhere else in Germany are misery and outrageous wealth so closely juxtaposed. This infuriates me, because without the wealth of some, there would be no poverty for others. Without the tax breaks for the super-rich from the grand coalition and the traffic light coalition, the state would have enough money for a robust welfare state that leaves no one behind, and enough money to maintain bridges and railways.

We want a country that simply works. A country where every child has a place in daycare, where there are enough buses and trains, where culture doesn't fall victim to supposed austerity measures. And we want a country where 100 billion euros in debt aren't incurred for rearmament while there's supposedly no money for schools. For this, we finally need a wealth tax and fair taxation of huge inheritances. This will bring the state an extra 125 billion euros – every year! Then there will be no more cuts to social welfare, schools, and bridges. Then people with average incomes will also pay less tax. And if we then democratize our economy, we'll finally have a fairer country.