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SPD: 'Renewal and unity'
From CNN.de
BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- The theme of the Social Democratic Party's programme for the September 22 election is "Renewal and Unity -- We in Germany."
The SPD's campaign is headed by Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who is seeking re-election against challenger and Bavarian leader Edmund Stoiber of the Christian Social Union and its sister party, the Christian Democratic Union.
The SPD's programme includes support for these main points:
Foreign policy
German armed forces will participate in future international military action if necessary, if the action is mandated by international organisations
General compulsory military service shall continue.
The next European Commission president should be elected by the European Parliament.
Reduce the strength of the German armed forces to 255,000 men from the current level of just under 300,000.
Economy
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Public finances will be consolidated
The formation of a middle-class bank will be announced.
A balanced budget will be presented until at least 2006.
Taxes will not be raised, and the entry tax rate will be reduced from 19.9 percent to 15 percent
Low-income employment should be made attractive for employees.
Long-term unemployed persons should be able to find a job faster, but with no reduction in the standards of income.
Education
Provide 4 billion euros over four years to set up 10,000 all-day schools by 2007 to allow women to focus on career as well as family.
Increase the ratio of people starting university from 28 percent to 40 percent.
No university fees for profesionally qualified first-time students.
Former East Germany
Give preferential treatment to the former East for new research centres.
Create 100,000 jobs for young people after they complete initial training.
Introduce a follow-up scheme to promote investments in eastern Germany when the capital investment tax bonus expires at the end of 2004.
Gradually adjust wages and salaries for civil servants to western German levels by 2007.
Banks will be allowed to provide further investment capital for small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Spend more than half of planned transport investments in eastern Germany.
Additional funds will be made available for doctoral candidate grants at eastern German universities; more graduate grants also will be established.
Family
Increase the child allowance to 200 euros per child per month
Improve the ability of single parents to deduct childcare expenses from taxes
Health
Encourage competition between doctors and hospitals.
Allow insurance companies to enter into contracts with practices and hospitals.
No increase planned for the income threshold, and with it, the maximum amount to the health insurance scheme.
Crime
Make it easier for victims to receive compensation from offenders.
Protect victims in court proceedings, recording their statements on video and audio to eliminate cross-examination.
Improve anti-corruption efforts by rotating decision-making positions, excluding companies convicted of corruption and setting up a central corruption register.
Coalition government
The SPD-Greens coalition will continue if election results allow it.
There will be no coalition with the Party of Democratic Socialism, East Germany's former ruling party.
Source: SPD.de
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