This article appears in the February 7, 2025 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.
Helga Zepp-LaRouche and BüSo On the Ballot for German Federal Elections
[Print version of this article]
Jan. 30—On Jan. 24, the LaRouche movement’s political party in Germany, Bürgerrechtsbewegung Solidarität (BüSo), meaning “Civil Rights Movement Solidarity,” had its candidate slate in Berlin approved for the upcoming German Federal elections on Feb. 23. With this victory, the BüSo is entitled to run election ads on the two main national TV stations, ZDF and ARD, as well as on several regional TV and radio stations, thus breaking through an otherwise highly controlled political environment.
There are tough regulations for parties not yet represented in parliament, requiring 2,000 valid signatures for the party’s slate in each of the 16 states, and 200 for each direct candidate. Despite court battles against this requirement, it was not lifted in the run-up to this snap election.
After a grueling six weeks of petitioning in the wind, rain, and snow, activists and organizers successfully turned in the requisite petition signatures and were approved by the election committees to appear on the ballot in the state of Berlin, which is also the Federal capital.
The slate includes four direct candidates: BüSo Federal Chairwoman Helga Zepp-LaRouche, running in Treptow-Köpenick (WK 83); Stephan Ossenkopp in Pankow (WK 75); Klaus Fimmen in Tempelhof-Schöneberg (WK 80); and Jonathan Thron in Lichtenberg (WK 85). Berlin BüSo State Chairman Dr. Wolfgang Lillge, Ulrike Lillge, and Fabian Koch are also running on the state slate.
This accomplishment is extremely important for Germany, where energy prices have skyrocketed, resulting in the economy nose-diving. Germany is marching head-long into a disaster brought on by its obeisance to the Anglo-American policies of war against Russia and green-energy fanaticism—all while real, open political discourse has been essentially banned. It is into this environment that the BüSo candidates are intervening. The candidates are first and foremost demanding an end to the insanity of provoking war against Russia. In its TV and radio ad, BüSo demands “no Taurus missiles to Ukraine and no American medium-range missiles in Germany!” A war between NATO and Russia would put Germany in the “war zone for a nuclear war,” noted one of its recent statements.
Instead of following NATO head-first into a war with Russia, BüSo is calling on Germany to “resist the geopolitical madness and return to the successful model of the pro-industrial, technology-friendly paradigm.” The Nord Stream pipelines should be repaired and reopened, and Germany should reject the green madness which has been imposed over recent years—including the reopening of nuclear power plants.
But to truly turn around the country’s economic woes, BüSo says Germany must cooperate with the new growing dynamic of the BRICS and Global South. In its recent statement distributed at the nationwide “SOS Day of Economic Alert” rallies held on Jan. 29, it declared:
The only real way out of the dramatic downturn of the German economy is to turn to the global growth engines of the BRICS countries. The stalling of German companies is an overall consequence of the decades-long misguided path into an anti-growth and geopolitical dead end.
What are the BRICS countries doing differently? They are making the cake bigger by creating new economic areas; by investing in transport infrastructure, industrial zones and technology open energy systems—including nuclear energy. The post-industrial utopia that parts of the Western world have committed themselves to has been shattered by reality. The problem is that no leading German politician stands for a real turnaround in economic policy.
The statement concludes by stating:
The BüSo therefore appeals to the whole German Mittelstand [small and mid-size industrial companies] and society as a whole to resist the geopolitical madness and return to the successful model of the pro-industrial, technology-friendly paradigm. Then the BRICS, whose 10 members and 9 partner states already represent the majority of humanity, are natural partners, including Russia, China and Iran.
Peace can only come through joint development!
Three weeks now remain before the German Federal elections, and the BüSo is asking all members, supporters, and sympathizers throughout Germany for their help in the crucial election campaign in Berlin. “Germany needs a change of course—from the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the Alps!” candidate Thron said in a recent video statement.
The BüSo webpage has more information available for voters and others about its program and the Berlin candidates.
Below is the translated text of its election ad, addressed by BüSo Chairwoman and lead candidate Helga Zepp-LaRouche. It was broadcast on regional TV and radio stations around Berlin, during the week of Jan. 27-31.
Dear voters!
The Cuban Missile Crisis was the result of the Soviet provocation of stationing medium-range missiles in Cuba. Why then should it not be a provocation when NATO advances to the Russian border with offensive weapons systems?
We in Germany must finally defend our own security interests! Therefore, no Taurus missiles to Ukraine and no American medium-range missiles in Germany!
The German economy is in free fall. This is the result of the catastrophically incompetent Green economic policy and the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. We must immediately accept Putin’s offer to repair the pipelines and resume cheap gas deliveries!
We are currently experiencing a paradigm shift that is as fundamental as the transition from the Middle Ages to the modern era. The nations of the Global South are overcoming 500 years of colonialism and starting their own development. We must cooperate with the BRICS countries and build a new, just world economic order together! Only in this way can we achieve full and productive employment again and secure world peace!
Therefore, vote for BüSo!
