Reformstau
No wonder Germany is still suffering from a “Reformstau” (backlog of social reforms). I always thought it was caused by so many lobby groups all pulling in different directions, so that movement was impossible.
Now, according to the Bildzeitung, my worst fears are confirmed – many of the German politicians are actually in the pay of German industry. So, on the one hand they are taking money from industry and presumably lobbying for those companies in return, and on the other, some are apparently devoting significant numbers of hours per week to working for private industry, instead of on the social reforms that everyone agrees are necessary.
After uncovering that VW is paying up to 100 politicians, they now reveal that BASF has 235 politicians on the payroll. Other companies with politicians on their payroll include Siemens, RWE and the Dresdner Bank, according to Bild. Some are prominent politicians, such as Hildegard Müller, a senior member of the opposition party, the CDU, who is apparently working some 16 – 20 hours / week for the Dresdner Bank.