Lindner's traffic light men: These FDP candidates could become ministers

Germany will soon be governed by a traffic light coalition.

Then the FDP will also have important posts.

Which names are traded?

Berlin - For some observers, the FDP is the winner of the traffic light negotiations so far.

In the recently published exploratory paper, the Free Democrats pushed through quite a few of their demands: no tax increases, no speed limit - but the debt brake.

In order to be able to shape politics in the country, however, appropriate ministries are also required.

The Ministry of Finance is a key portfolio, but other items are also being discussed.

The question remains: with which personnel does the FDP go into a possible new government?

And will women also be included in the liberal package, as the Greens are calling for?

An overview.

Christian Lindner: Can he outdo Habeck in the Ministry of Finance?

That party leader Christian Lindner will get a ministry is actually certain - that it should be the finance ministry, at the same time not a big secret.

The most prominent head of his party had even proposed himself for the post during the election campaign.

He receives competition from Greens co-boss Robert Habeck, who is also traded as a possible finance minister.

But he should already look elsewhere and squint at the office of interior minister.

Then the way would be free for Lindner as finance minister.

Volker Wissing: General Secretary also asked in federal traffic lights

Volker Wissing appears on the front line this day.

The FDP general secretary is available at the many traffic light press meetings with Lars Klingbeil and Michael Kellner, his colleagues from the SPD and the Greens, to answer questions.

The law graduate can be trusted to hold a ministerial office in a new government.

The state chairman of the FDP Rhineland-Palatinate was Minister for Economics, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture and Deputy Prime Minister in his home state.

Incidentally, he held this office in a traffic light coalition under SPD head of government Malu Dreyer.

Wolfgang Kubicki: "I've never wanted to be in a cabinet in my life"

After Lindner, Wolfgang Kubicki is probably the most present FDP politician in Germany.

It is therefore not surprising to associate him with a ministerial office.

But the 69-year-old had recently, surprisingly, clearly rejected a ministerial office.

"I've never wanted to be in a cabinet in my life and I don't understand why everyone always thinks that this is the ultimate," he said before the general election of the

.

In the coalition talks, the party vice in the working group on internal security, civil rights, justice, consumer protection, sport is present.

Alexander Graf Lambsdorff: Ex-diplomat as new foreign minister?

What it means to hold a ministerial office in a federal government is well known in the Lambsdorff household.

Alexander Sebastian Léonce von der Wenge Graf Lambsdorff, the FDP politician's full name, is the nephew of the former Finance Minister Otto Graf Lambsdorff (FDP).

The 54-year-old could soon follow in his footsteps - even if not as finance minister.

Lambsdorff has a diplomatic past and is therefore considered the perfect candidate for the Foreign Ministry in the FDP ranks.

In the coalition negotiations, he heads the working group on foreign affairs, security, defense, development and human rights.

Problem: The Greens also claim the office.

Chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock is traded.

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FDP politician Alexander Lambsdorff was a member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2017, where he was chairman of the FDP group

© Kay Nietfeld / dpa

Marco Buschmann: Promising candidate for ministerial office

Marco Buschmann is the parliamentary managing director of the FDP parliamentary group.

He is part of the four-person team that leads the coalition talks.

Buschmann is a trained lawyer and works as a lawyer.

The Gelsenkirchener is considered a candidate for the Justice Ministry, which is traditionally occupied by the FDP.

Buschmann is also conceivable in the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Johannes Vogel: New face in the new ministry?

Johannes Vogel takes care of two areas in the coalition negotiations.

Welfare state, basic security, pension and the group work.

The 39-year-old is one of the new faces of the party who stand for a young, modern FDP.

Vogel was chairman of the Young Liberals for many years, sits on the federal executive board and is general secretary in North Rhine-Westphalia.

There, in Lindner's homeland, the FDP rules.

A fact that shouldn't diminish Vogel's chances.

Nevertheless, he is only considered an outsider candidate.

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann: Focus on the Ministry of Defense?

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann is considered to be the woman in the FDP with the greatest chances of a ministerial office.

Born in Düsseldorf, she is a member of the FDP federal executive board and is regarded as a defense expert who is valued across party lines.

The Ministry of Defense currently headed by Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU) could fit in with Strack-Zimmermann.

Provided that the FDP is awarded it.

The SPD is considered the candidate with the best chances for office.

Strack-Zimmermann was also acted as Federal President.

Problem: Here, too, the SPD in the person of Frank-Walter Steinmeier stands in the way.

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Is FDP defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann represented as minister in a new government?

© Fabian Sommer / dpa

Bettina Stark-Watzinger: Surprise candidate for the Ministry of Education?

So far, Bettina Stark-Watzinger has been flying a little below the radar.

The chairwoman of the FDP Hessen also sits in the party presidium and in the Bundestag and was involved in the exploratory talks.

In the coalition talks she appears as one of four negotiators.

A sign of future ministerial posts?

now connects the native of Frankfurt with the post of education or development aid minister.

Stark-Watzinger is therefore considered a promising candidate.

The 53-year-old has no government experience.

At the request of

, Stark-Watzinger does not want to take part in personal discussions and refers to the upcoming discussions.

Their motto: "First clarify the content and then talk about offices."

Nicola Beer: From Brussels to Berlin?

As a possible candidate, who has so far hardly been mentioned in public, Nicola Beer comes into question.

The Hessin is Vice-President of the European Parliament.

The longtime FDP general secretary moved to the European Parliament in 2019.

Now she could possibly switch to federal politics.

It is already represented once at the coalition talks with the Europe working group.

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Nicola Beer (l) was involved in the Jamaica negotiations in 2018.

© AFP / TOBIAS SCHWARZ

Traffic light coalition: new government on St. Nicholas Day?

In addition, there are other candidates who could possibly be considered for a ministerial office: The current Deputy Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Joachim Stamp, the former Secretary General Linda Teuteberg and the board members Lydia Hüskens, Harald Christ and Michael Theurer.

In the FDP, as in the SPD and the Greens, it is currently emphasized that one does not want to deal with ministerial posts.

It won't be long until the question of the cast has been clarified.

Because the Ampel-Koalier want to present the first results by the end of November, so that a new government could be in place as early as St.

Then it will also be clear to whom which ministerial office is assigned.

So far, there is supposedly no talk about it, as Habeck assured in the ARD talk "Anne Will" - "shadow boxing" was his brief verdict on the speculation.