Mindelheim / Bavaria - The Mittelstands-Union Bayern (MU) recently held new elections at its state assembly in Bad Aibling, Upper Bavaria - and confirmed Franz Josef Pschierer from Mindelheim as state chairman with 83 percent of the votes.
In an interview, Pschierer explains what he wants to achieve in his second term of office, which will only last until the end of 2022 due to the late re-election due to the corona.
Mr. Pschierer, you are starting your second term as MU state chairman these days. What were your goals when you ran for re-election?
Pschierer
: “Our country is facing great challenges.
First of all, it is about overcoming the corona crisis, which is a major task, especially for medium-sized businesses.
Regardless of Corona, there are other central questions and problems for medium-sized companies that need to be addressed. "
For example?
Pschierer
: “Climate change, the issue of energy costs, rising inflation rates, interrupted supply chains, especially in our region, too, the shortage of skilled workers and the great backlog in digitization.
When it comes to digitization, we are lagging far behind, as Corona has shown us.
It is a scandal that we have to talk to teachers using digital devices in the 21st century. "
At our appointment at the Kleiner company in Mindelheim, the enormous burdens of bureaucracy were also recently addressed. Do other medium-sized companies in Bavaria also share this view?
Pschierer
: “As a politician, I don't like to use the word 'bureaucracy reduction'.
Here politics has not covered itself with glory in the past.
The burdens on medium-sized companies have actually increased enormously in recent years.
Documentation obligations, statistics and lengthy approval procedures, all of this puts a massive burden on a small craft business - especially in comparison to large corporations that have huge legal and staff departments. "
How can this be solved from your point of view?
Pschierer
: “We have to tighten the approval and permit procedures in terms of time.
It simply has to go faster.
This has nothing to do with laws, but with their implementation. "
Sounds really easy. Then why does it fail?
Pschierer
: “I have the feeling that nobody is ready to take on responsibility anymore.
Everyone shies away from the risk, so it is better to use expensive reports. "
... and that takes time.
Pschierer
.
“In the Allgäu in particular, there will be a lot of companies to be taken over in the next few years.
And here we need the willingness of young people to take over existing companies or to set up new ones.
However, we do not encourage this willingness by the fact that the young entrepreneur has to deal with authorities and administrative authorities, for example regarding fire, environmental and nature protection, during the majority of his working hours. "
Mediating between the company and the administration should then also be your job until the end of next year for the time being. What is your workload as MU state chairman?
Pschierer
: “In addition to the board meetings about every two months, I represent the MU at the federal board meeting in Berlin and at the federal medium-sized business conference in Dresden in December.
And it's about being the point of contact for companies in all seven administrative districts.
For the next year, I have made regular company visits and discussions with company owners, employees and trainees. "
With a view to the corona numbers, personal exchange on site should soon become less again. How challenging is the fourth wave for medium-sized companies?
Pschierer
: “2G or 2G-plus are a difficult balancing act.
This will again be a major challenge, especially for the hotel, catering and tourism industries, among other things because of the uncertainty among consumers. "
How can politics minimize the risk for medium-sized entrepreneurs?
Pschierer
: “What companies need are reliable framework conditions and timely announcements.
Even in the last few waves, many companies reacted very quickly and implemented hygiene concepts in an exemplary manner.
I also experience a great willingness to test additionally.
There are many companies that even voluntarily do more in this area than politicians require. "
The fact that all of this is now necessary or that the corona situation is so fatal again, from the point of view of most experts, has to do with the vaccination rates. Your opinion on this?
Pschierer
: “Just take a look at the low vaccination rate here in the Unterallgäu, that's absurd.
But one also has to say: some of the statements made by politicians have not exactly contributed to a higher vaccination rate.
The fact that Deputy Prime Minister Aiwanger had to be forced by his parliamentary group to get vaccinated did not exactly encourage willingness to vaccinate in parts of the population.
Politicians have to set a good example here - which was not the case with Aiwanger.
And federal politicians did not do a good job of vaccine procurement either.
In my opinion, the shutdown of the vaccination and test centers should not have been done that way. "
Interview: Marco Tobisch