_{Photo: Empty parking lot for buses via DTS}

BERLIN (DTS) – Green leader Analina Barbock is making life in the country more attractive. In a paper published by the newspapers “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” (Saturday editions), it promised to improve transport infrastructure, improve health offers, legal entitlement to fast mobile internet and other measures.

“Life in the country means freedom for many people,” the chancellor’s candidate wrote. “Provided that you have a car.” So the Greens want to “provide a guarantee of mobility and give everyone access to fast and reliable public transportation, even in the evenings, on weekends and during holidays”. In order to promote electric mobility in rural areas as well, Baerbock is calling for a mandatory network of electronic car charging stations.

There should be a charging station every ten kilometers. In order to improve health care, it promised to establish health centers in rural areas, which should be based on the model of polyclinics as they existed in East Germany. In the paper, the Green Party chief also calls for a legal right to broadband mobile network coverage, and “the federal funding program for broadband expansion should be revised so that the worst-served areas are prioritized.” To modernize their work, Baerbock envisions co-working spaces in converted barns or school buildings.

“Co-working spaces have long ceased to be big city darlings, but are a viable alternative to commuting and working from home in the country,” she wrote. Through the Sports Development Plan, Baerbock wants to “work with sports federations, federal states, municipalities and local sports fans to provide targeted funding opportunities to promote grassroots sports in rural areas.” The green politician said there was “a link between loneliness, closed village pubs, grocery stores, train stations, resentment of the state and the abandonment of democratic structures.” Announces an initiative to amend the Basic Law.

So the Greens want to “establish a new common mission” for regional public-interest services “in the Basic Act and make it a priority in the next federal government.” In order to financially relieve debt-burdened municipalities, Barbock is proposing an additional investment fund of €500 billion over ten years.