Since early November students are on strike in Germany. At more than 70 universities lectures are being boycotted in order to demonstrate against the unbearable study conditions. A new law proposed by the Minister of Education, Science and Research to streamline higher education is under strong attack of more than a third of the student population. The law is expected to be approved by the parliament within the next two months.

Free education is one of the pillars of Germany's social state. The tuition-free system costs US$ 28.5 billion a year, where the states pay 90% and the federal government adds 10%.

Public spending for universities has been cut for years related to the GDP, like in other social and cultural areas. Referring to the federal government this share is being cut as part of efforts to meet fiscal targets to qualify for the common European currency. "Why more than 10% of the federal budget, US$23.4 billion, is still spend on the military?", ask the students.

On November the 27th more than 40,000 students demonstrated in Bonn, annoyed that one day before the parliament approved a US$13.1 billion program to buy 180 new combat jets.

The 1.8 million students have to bear with institutions intended to accommodate only half as many. Additionally conditions to qualify for state grants and loans have been getting tougher. Insufficient study finance force more than two thirds of them to work part time.

Subsequently the average student takes about seven years to graduate.

The national union of students in Germany, fzs, expects that the new legislation will not solve the problems. Instead it would implement neo-liberalistic measures in the field of the higher educational system.

Business leaders suggest to introduce tuition fees and a two class system of a few elite universities and many second rates by increasing competition among universities. This is not the students understanding of a free education for all.

Therefore fzs calls for sufficient financial supply by the state for all institutions of higher education as well as a system for study financing which covers all needs of the students. Additionally all institutions of higher education have to be democratised. Here student representative bodies have to be implemented with the right of expression on social and political developments.