"We'll Indulge in Less Axis-Building"

DW-TV: Mr. Westerwelle, you're 43 years old, a lawyer from the Rhineland, and you've been leader of the FDP for four years. Even before this election campaign began, you committed your party to an alliance with the conservative CDU and CSU and their candidate for chancellor, Angela Merkel. In the past, Germany was governed for 13 years by a coalition between your party and the Social Democrats. You have ruled this option out. Why?

Because times have changed. And the Social Democrats have changed significantly -- for the worse. Over the last few years, we have seen the SPD and the Greens pursue anti-business policies. They have caused key technologies to leave Germany -- just think of biotechnology and genetic engineering. They imposed more levies -- just think of the deposits on drinks containers. They have increased red tape -- just think about discussion of the anti-discrimination law. All this has created economic misery. All this has led to mass unemployment. We will only be able to solve these problems if we have a real change of course.

But you don't agree with all the CDU's policies, either. They want to raise VAT by 2 percent. You're dead against it. What can the electorate expect if you get in?

The voters determine which party is the strongest in any coalition. They will either opt for the one that is planning to raise taxes or they'll opt for the one that realizes that it can't just dip into people's pockets when state coffers are empty. We are convinced that lowering taxes is the best way to create jobs. That is how neighboring countries have managed it and we intend to emulate that. That's why the FDP wants a tax code that is simple and fair and that keeps taxes low. That will increase purchasing power, attract investment and create jobs in Germany.

Hand on heart: Would you allow coalition talks to fail because of that?

The FDP's arguments are so good that I am optimistic we will prevail. We aren't just saying we don't want to raise VAT; we are also talking about how we can finance lower, simpler and fairer taxation. Not just through better economic performance but by cutting red tape -- we will say where; by doing away with subsidies -- we will say how; and by either curbing or abolishing certain tax exemptions. We are prepared to adopt that solution, too.

The FDP wants to lower taxes -- but it seems the catastrophic state of the country's finances won't allow that. How are you going to deal with that?

The only way to refill the coffers is to lower taxes -- only by lowering taxes will we be able to create more jobs, which means fewer out of work and therefore more taxpayers. At present, the state gives every unemployed person 19,600 euros ($24,270) in direct support. That means that, if our policies create a million jobs -- something we last achieved in coalition with the CDU in the 1980s -- in fact, we did even more than that -- that will channel nearly 20 billion euros back to the state. And the state can then spend that on education, science, art and culture -- the things which make life in Germany worth living and which are vital to our country's future.

Another point where you differ: The FDP wants to get rid of the universal military service, the CDU vehemently doesn't. What happens now?

We are aware of what our European neighbors and all our military allies did long ago. The global situation has changed and a conscript army is no longer appropriate -- you now need professional armed forces, and that's possible only with committed professional or volunteer servicemen and -women. That's why I think it's only a matter of time before circumstances -- and that incidentally also includes a lack of equity in who gets called up -- force us to move towards a volunteer army.

Continue reading to find out about the FDP's plans for German foreign policy under FDP leadership.

The FDP has a long foreign-policy tradition and it's possible the next foreign minister will be drawn from your ranks again. What would change?

We would make sure there's continuity -- that goes without saying -- as far as the European Idea is concerned, as far as friendship with our allies is concerned, and when it concerns maintaining good neighborly relations at the international level. But, unlike the governing Red-Green coalition, we would stop forming axes -- I mean, we think the idea of a "Paris-Berlin-Moscow" axis is certainly a mistake, not least because the other European countries are feeling progressively more alienated and say so, too.

Your party wants a European seat on the UN Security council, not a German one. But that means years of German diplomatic efforts are being undermined. Is that really the aim?

We say a German seat on the Security Council is only the second-best solution. Nobody should forget: it's not a right, it's a privilege! It would mean Germans would play a bigger role in every international military deployment. That's why we believe it would be better if German foreign policy remains anchored in the European context -- in other words, if we act in consultation with our European partners. We think it's clear. We want a European seat. If that's not possible, then a German seat is the next-best solution, but we believe a European seat is much better. We can already see what price has to be paid and how much it irritates our friends and partners. And I have the impression - seeing as you were talking about diplomacy -- that the behavior of the German chancellor and, in particular, the German foreign minister, with regard to the question of UN reform, was anything but diplomatic.

The FDP wasn't happy with the deployment of German troops to Afghanistan. If you get into power, will you pull them back?

We were unhappy about the vague mandate. And we were unhappy because we feared that our troops would be employed more and more as policemen against these drug fields. And because we were worried that the level of our soldiers' protection and equipment was steadily deteriorating, and that includes technically. Unfortunately, our worries have now been shown to be justified. On the other hand, it's obvious that those international obligations entered into by this federal government have to be honored by the next. In foreign affairs and international politics, you have to stand by your word -- which is why there'll be no U-turn but instead stability and reliability for our allies. But we'll also reinforce the European idea by indulging in less axis-building.

To conclude, let's have another look at this election campaign. Three years ago, you waged a so-called "Fun Campaign," but it all went wrong. What are you going to do this time to make sure you hit the right note?

To put it bluntly, only in Germany do we confuse humor and optimism with a lack of seriousness -- at least that's what my friends who live abroad always complain about. Depth und humor seem to be completely contradictory concepts here. We'll keep running election campaigns which aren't only life-affirming and optimistic but also happy and unconventional in the future, too. But that still doesn't change the fact that the FDP has very serious aims. It's not a case of, "Our tax plans were a joke in 2002 but now suddenly everything's all incredibly serious." They were always serious, because they bring employment and jobs to Germany. The voters seem to think we're right, because the FDP has fought a whole series of successful elections over the last four years. And we're now stronger than we've been since German unification.

DW-TV's Christian F. Trippe interviewed Guido Westerwelle.