There is not yet a Union election program - but now the election campaign mode: Armin Laschet dealt with harsh words against all available coalition partners on Monday.
Berlin - After weeks of questions about the Chancellor, the Bundestag election campaign seems to be slowly rolling in content: the FDP decided on its election program at the weekend, the Green Annalena Baerbock made further climate protection demands - Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet missed the two competitors on Monday, some bitter rejections.
The same was true for the SPD.
The CDU leader went straight to a confrontation with all three possible coalition partners.
And probably missed an own election program.
Laschet in election campaign mode: Even dream partner Lindner collects rebuff - "not the first thought ..."
The scolding against the liberals was particularly noteworthy. On Friday, Laschet and FDP leader Christian Lindner presented themselves as a political dream couple in the social networks. But when it comes to the first questions of content, the matter obviously looks different again.
Laschet rejected the FDP's request for tax cuts on Monday after a CDU presidium meeting.
It is clear that the pandemic will cause "major budget problems" after the election.
"That is why the tax cuts are not the first thought that comes to my mind in this budget situation," said the candidate for chancellor coolly.
Laschet was not able to show a clear edge.
“We will present our election manifesto in due course,” he said - it will contain the Union's final answer.
The CDU and CSU do not want to knock down their program until mid-June, then as the last of the major parties.
“Typical Green demand”: Laschet reprimands Baerbock for the short-haul flight idea
Less surprising in terms of content, but in an unusually harsh tone for Laschet, the Greens and SPD also got their fat away - when asked about the price increases for short-haul flights, which Baerbock, but also SPD chancellery candidate Olaf Scholz had recently raised.
The CDU boss got into election campaign mode, especially with regard to his opponent of the Greens.
It was "a typical Green demand," he stated.
“I don't know what Ms. Baerbock means in concrete terms,” he complained.
"How does she intend to ban this, by what legal means?" Laschet asked rhetorically.
It is also unclear when such a regulation should take effect and what is actually meant by “short haul”: “Hamburg - Munich?
Cologne - Berlin? "
“We have to achieve that you can get from A to B quickly.
And if the train is faster, then people will use the train, ”explained Laschet.
He called on the Greens to be willing to change and accelerate the planning law - then the Union would say the eco-party "a warm welcome to the club".
Laschet waddles Scholz off because of a flight request: "Bar any knowledge"
Scholz had to listen to even harsher words.
Its demand - expressed in a ProSieben interview - for surcharges on cheap flights was "devoid of any knowledge of European emissions trading," said Laschet.
This already includes the flight emissions.
A price increase of 50 to 60 euros would hit "in case of doubt a low-income earner who can afford such a flight once a year".
"The fact that the SPD is saying goodbye to ordinary people with such populist proposals amazes me very much," said the CDU leader to his own coalition partner.
In any case, Baerbock's and Scholz's ideas are “without any impact on climate policy”.
Laschet meanwhile found clear but moderate words in the conclusions on the debate about anti-Semitic incidents in Germany.
Baerbock clarifies open Laschet question: domestic flight is "short haul"
Nevertheless, Baerbock was also on duty on Monday: The Green Chancellor candidate spoke up again on the subject of short-haul flights - however, she avoided the word “ban” in numerous inquiries. Short-haul flights would have to be reduced and dumping prices stopped. In her press conference shortly after Laschet's appearance, the Green boss also clarified at least one of Laschet's unanswered questions: She sees domestic flights as a "short distance", for example on the route between Munich and Berlin: this distance is four hours with the ICE sprinter the train to cope with.
Baerbock also emphasized that there was an urgent need to invest more in Germany. Your party wants to finance that with different tax proposals. The FDP's demand not to increase or even reduce taxes is what they consider to be “bad checks” and a wrong variant. When asked whether the FDP's tax position precludes cooperation in a traffic light coalition, she did not respond. (
fn / cibo
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