"Sign of total weakness" - Söder demands an apology from SPD leader Klingbeil

Created: 11/13/2022, 9:30 p.m

Markus Söder (CSU), Prime Minister of Bavaria.

© Sven Hoppe/dpa

The debate about the citizen money proposed by the traffic light is heated.

After fake news allegations against the Union by SPD boss Klingbeil, Markus Söder demands an apology.

Munich - In the dispute over citizen income, Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder has demanded an apology from SPD leader Lars Klingbeil.

He had accused the Union of spreading "fake news".

"Mr. Klingbeil should actually apologize quickly for such a serious derailment," said CSU boss Söder on Sunday in the ARD program "Report from Berlin".

"Because in the end it only leads to the SPD isolating itself in the population and in the democratic process." One should "return to reasonable arguments".

Dispute over citizen money: Klingbeil accuses Union of Trump methods

Klingbeil had accused Söder and CDU leader Friedrich Merz of splitting society.

In the discussion about citizen income, the Union is spreading false numbers and playing low earners off against people who are dependent on the state: "Anyone who behaves like this, who follows Donald Trump's path of spreading fake news, who thinks you have to split the country, has no place in the political center of this country.”

"It's a sign of total weakness, aggression and insecurity when Mr. Klingbeil argues like that," Söder replied.

"The traffic light now tends to disqualify anyone who has a different opinion." Acting in this way shows an understanding of democracy that worries him greatly.

Dispute over citizens' income: Traffic light law is before the Bundesrat

The first parliamentary director of the FDP parliamentary group, Johannes Vogel, said on ARD with regard to Klingbeil's statements that that was not his choice of words: "But I think we have to state that there was a lot of misleading going on in this debate."

The citizens' allowance planned by the traffic light coalition is intended to replace the previous Hartz IV.

The Federal Council votes on Monday.

After the Bundestag decision last week, the project could be stopped in the chamber of states, since the consent of the federal states governed by the Union is required.

However, the CDU and CSU reject the traffic light project because they believe it reduces motivation to accept work.

The traffic light parties reject this.

If the Bundesrat does not agree, the mediation committee of the Bundesrat and Bundestag could be called upon to find a compromise.