Before the European elections in June, the Bavarian Business Association (VBW) warned urgently about the threat from radical forces – particularly from the right-wing fringe. The election on June 9th is a “fateful election” in which the future of the European Union will be decided, said Wolfram Hatz, President of the VBW, on Thursday in Munich. It’s about democracy, stability and of course how we can preserve our prosperity. For this reason, the VBW wants to “promote that as many people as possible go to the polls on June 9th and vote for a strong, effective and prosperous Europe.” The VBW will do this with a series of events throughout Bavaria, the highlight of which will be a virtual election campaign arena on June 6th.
Because the election is about a diverse, pluralistic and tolerant Europe, the VBW does not focus on demands on the EU, but rather on the reasons that speak for the European project and its further development: peace, prosperity, overcoming borders, the increase in weight in the world, simplified economics, climate protection and stability.
The EU is the best thing that has happened to the continent, said Hatz. Therefore, radical forces that dream of a return to national-state petty mercenaries are unlikely to gain the upper hand: “As long as I am president of the Bavarian economy, there will be no AfD here,” promised Hatz. That doesn’t mean that the EU is uncritical. Unlike right-wing radical parties, the VBW does not want a different Europe, but a better Europe, an EU that concentrates on its essential tasks.
The VBW is the cross-industry interest group of the Bavarian economy. It represents 155 employer and business associations as well as 47 supporting members. Overall, almost 90 percent of all employees in Bavaria work in the sectors of the VBW member associations.