The number of letters of protest that have been received by the editorial team is now well into the four-digit range. Now the FDP chairman Guido Westerwelle is calling for resistance to the reform plans.
The solidarity among the sailors is great. YACHT readers protest individually or even organize signature campaigns on their own initiative, for example in their clubs. This seems to be having an initial effect on the political stage. The FDP application of January 17, entitled "Facilitating sport and leisure shipping in Germany" was on the agenda for the week of meetings now taking place in Berlin. According to a statement by FDP leader Guido Westerwelle, it was "postponed at the request of the government factions".
Westerwelle told the YACHT: "The slower speed, which the government plans are already suggesting, are a sign of improvement, but the pressure from active water sports enthusiasts in particular should not ease."
You can read the full interview with the opposition leader in the German Bundestag in YACHT 9/07