The FDP also attributes heavy losses to federal politics

Created: 05/16/2022, 13:04

Christian Lindner, Federal Chairman of the FDP, speaks at a press conference.

© Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa

The FDP also sees federal political reasons for its heavy losses in the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia.

The great dissatisfaction with the energy price flat rate contributed to the "dramatic slump" among the over 60-year-olds, said Federal Chairman Christian Lindner on Monday in Berlin.

In the street election campaign, the question always came up as to why the one-off fee of 300 euros wasn't also available for pensioners.

Berlin - "Although it wasn't our own model, nor our project, it was also associated with the FDP in a special way."

The communication of this question of justice in the overall package of relief was not successful, said Lindner.

"We must also draw our conclusions from this for future political projects of the coalition in Berlin." The FDP leader emphasized that the traffic light coalition was never the "political dream" of the FDP.

"We govern in the traffic light out of state political responsibility because the CDU and CSU were unwilling and unable to form a government after the federal election." Nothing has changed.

In addition, war is now raging in Europe and the economy is in a risky situation.

The FDP must work through their problems.

The focus is on government action.

"We currently have no time and no space to deal with ourselves in depth as long as there is a crisis and war," said Lindner.

"The focus is now on the country and not small or large gains in territory for the FDP."

NRW top candidate Joachim Stamp spoke of an "extremely bitter evening" and predicted: "We will now get a black-green coalition in North Rhine-Westphalia.

It is clear that the CDU will be willing to sacrifice a lot of content for the election of the prime minister.” There is a “clear government mandate for the CDU and the Greens”.

According to his impression, this has now also reached SPD challenger Thomas Kutschaty.

"That's why I'm not expecting a call."

Kuschaty had hoped to be able to form a traffic light coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP despite the CDU's large lead.

"The traffic light in North Rhine-Westphalia would have no internal legitimacy," said Lindner.

That was different in the federal government, where there was no option for stable government apart from the traffic light.

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In the NRW state elections on Sunday, the FDP only won 5.9 percent, more than halving its 2017 result (12.6 percent).

These 12.6 percent were the best result ever, said Lindner.

There was a special mobilization because it was more or less an early federal election.

"It was clear to everyone that this could not be maintained." dpa