Baden-Württemberg's election debate heats up as businesses quiz political candidates
Economic Policy and Business Location Take Center Stage at Freiburg's Pre-Election Business Forum
Just weeks before Baden-Württemberg's state election, economic and industrial policy dominated the agenda at a high-profile debate in Freiburg, where representatives from several political parties engaged directly with local business leaders at the Gewerbe Akademie Freiburg.
The event was co-hosted by the Freiburg Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer Freiburg), the Southern Upper Rhine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK Südlicher Oberrhein), and the Baden Industrial Employers' Association (Wirtschaftsverband Industrieller Unternehmen Baden). Organizers emphasized that the forum aimed to shed light on each party's economic and industrial policy proposals while fostering direct dialogue between policymakers and the regional business community.
Key topics under discussion included business location strategy, securing skilled labor, economic transformation, and the future of Baden-Württemberg as Germany's automotive heartland. Candidates from the CDU, Greens, SPD, FDP, Left Party, and AfD—all representing the Freiburg region—took part in the panel.
According to the Freiburg Chamber of Crafts, the format gives businesses a platform to voice their concerns and pose specific questions to political decision-makers. With the state's competitiveness and capacity for innovation at stake, many companies see early clarity on parties' economic agendas as critical to their planning.
The chamber represents some 16,000 craft businesses across southern Baden, employing over 100,000 people.
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