By Dr. Wolfgang Gerhard, member of the German Parliament and Executive Chairman of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation

Translated by Natalie Hohmann

Market economy but also the indispensable requirements of freedom as well as an open awareness for threats to freedom had considerably lost cultural base in Germany already before the so-called financial crises. Competition all but became a contaminated word. Justice rhetoricians held the by far utmost attention. They revolved every proposal of change that was expressed on behalf of generation justice and fairness of social security systems regardless of the consequences and thus, brought a total simplicity into people’s mind.

By Dr. Gorawut Numnak

Less than a year ago, the predominant view had been that Asia would be only marginally affected by the looming credit crisis. Today, many Asian countries are among the hardest hit.

In order to provide a broad social platform for discussing the impact of the crisis and the needed policy responses, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF), the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) and the Democrat Party (Thailand) organised a conference, under the banner "Liberal Responses to the Global Economic Crisis" on 28 March 2009, at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok.

By Dr. Gorawut Numnak

“If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together”

The above notion seems to be gaining credence in this part of the world as ASEAN’s leaders--one by one – signed the first ASEAN charter. The charter serves as the ASEAN’s constitution, providing ASEAN a ‘legal entity’.

There is – as things now stand – a growing realisation of a single ASEAN economic community. In a free market world, it is observed that ‘the size of the market is what counts’.

By Walter Klitz, head of the FNF Korea office

In his speech “change has come to America” Barack Obama has exclaimed a new era of leadership. He described the ability of change to be the “true genius of America”. With his administration profound changes were to be initiated and “alliances to be repaired”.

“Everything is possible” and “yes, we can” are keywords that will stick within the heads of a great number of listeners all over the world. These words will raise expectations but as well worries all around the globe. It is not only that with Obama a Democrat has been elected president; Obama’s victory has been accompanied by a comfortable edge of the Democratic Party in both houses and might pave the way for a strong shift of American policies.