Hi all,

I just added the following information to FSFE’s project page for the German federal election [1]:

Because of the German federal elections in 2009, FSFE called on all German Free Software supporters to ask the parties’ candidates about their positions on Free Software and Open Standards. FSFE set up a page about the German Bundestagswahl [2] to help asking questions, and to collecting answers.

During the campaign politicians from many parties have recognised the potential of Free Software [3] and Open Standards [4] for Germany. In response to questions from supporters of FSFE, they explained that Free Software equals more competition, promotes innovation and provides cost savings.

FSFE collected the candidates’ answers [5] and wrote an overview of the parties’ programmes [6] where they concern Free Software (in German). Our Fellows, volunteers [7] and the German team asked 35 questions and got 26 replies. FSFE’s publications

- 2009-09-08: Press release “German Election: Ask your candidate about Free Software!” [8] - 2009-09-10: Matthias Kirschner’s question to Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD and Germany’s Vice-Chancellor) [9] (in German) - 2009-09-15: Torsten Grote’s question to Martina Krogmann (CDU) [10] (in German) [Got a reply] - 2009-09-16: Matthias Kirschner’s question to Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU and Germany’s Minister of the interior) [11] (in German). [Got a reply] - 2009-09-17: Thomas Jensch’s question to Guido Westerwelle (FDP) [12] (in German). - 2009-09-21: Press release “Free Software hits German election campaigns” [13]

= Selected media coverage =

- 2009-09-09: Gulli: “Kandidaten nach Freier Software löchern!" [14] - 2009-09-09: Netzpolitik: “Wahl09: Fragt die Kandidaten nach Freier Software!” [15] - 2009-09-10: Heise: “Free Software Foundation Europe startet Aktion zur Bundestagswahl” [16] - 2009-09-10: Pressetext: “Freie Software als Wahlkampfthema” [17] - 2009-09-10: Pro-linux: “FSFE startet Kandidaten-Befragung zur Bundestagswahl” [18] - 2009-09-14: Computerwoche: FSFE startet Kandidaten-Befragung Freie Software als Wahlkampfthema [19] - 2009-09-21: Heise: “Freie Software: Die Positionen der Politiker” [20] - 2009-09-21: Pro-Linux: “FSFE stellt Politiker-Antworten zu freier Software vor”. [21] - 2009-09-22: OSOR: “DE: Interior minister: ‘Open source reduces vendor lock-in and monopolies’” [22] (in English). - 2009-09-22: Pressetext: “Politiker zeigen Interesse an freier Software — FSFE bemängelt fehlendes Gesamtkonzept deutscher Parteien” [23]. - 2009-09-25: Heise: “Mit dem “Steini-Girl” und “3 Tage wach” in den Wahlkampfendspurt” [24]

= You liked that? =

Please support us preparing and implementing such activites in future. Here are some suggestions:

- Help us translating our information into your mother tongue [25], so more people can read about Free Software and our activties. - Support us with a donation [26] or ask your employer to donate us. That is crucial to secure our financial independence. - Join FSFE’s Fellowship [27] to meet other likeminded people, participate in our activities and secure our financial independence plus our political weight. - Promote our newsletter [28] so more people read about Free Software issues. You can do this with our _new newsletter banners and buttons_ [29]. - Buy a t-shirt [30] and spread our message, plus support us financially.

Best wishes, Matthias

1. http://www.fsfe.org/projects/btw09/btw09.en.html 2. http://wiki.fsfe.org/Bundestagswahl2009 3. http://blogs.fsfe.org/documents/freesoftware.html 4. http://blogs.fsfe.org/projects/os/def.html 5. http://wiki.fsfe.org/Bundestagswahl2009#SchongestellteFragenunderhalteneAntw... 6. http://wiki.fsfe.org/Bundestagswahl2009#DiePositionenderParteieninihrenProgr... 7. http://blogs.fsfe.org/contribute/ 8. http://blogs.fsfe.org/news/2009/news-20090908-01.html 9. http://blogs.fsfe.org/mk/?p=333 10. http://blogs.fsfe.org/mk/?p=343 11. http://blogs.fsfe.org/mk/?p=349 12. http://blogs.fsfe.org/riepernet/?p=90 13. http://blogs.fsfe.org/news/2009/news-20090921-01.html 14. http://www.gulli.com/news/bundestagswahl-kandidaten-nach-2009-09-09/ 15. http://www.netzpolitik.org/2009/wahl09-fragt-die-kandidaten-nach-freier-soft... 16. http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Free-Software-Foundation-Europe-startet-Aktio... 17. http://pressetext.at/news/090910009/freie-software-als-wahlkampfthema/ 18. http://www.pro-linux.de/cgi-bin/NB2/nb2.cgi?show.14679.3010 19. http://www.computerwoche.de/software/software-infrastruktur/1905401/ 20. http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Freie-Software-Die-Positionen-der-Politiker--... 21. http://www.pro-linux.de/news/2009/14722.html 22. http://www.osor.eu/news/de-interior-minister-open-source-reduces-vendor-lock... 23. http://pressetext.de/news/090922025/politiker-zeigen-interesse-an-freier-sof... 24. http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Mit-dem-Steini-Girl-und-3-Tage-wach-in-den-Wa... 25. http://www.fsfe.org/contribute/translators/translators.en.html 26. http://www.fsfe.org/donate/donate.en.html 27. http://fellowship.fsfe.org/join 28. http://www.fsfe.org/news/newsletter.en.html 29. http://wiki.fsfe.org/Artwork/Banners#Newsletterbannersandbuttons 30. http://www.fsfe.org/order/order.en.html