As of: February 7, 2024, 5:28 p.m
By: Florian Naumann
Comments
Press
Split
Lindner and Habeck smile at unity - while the right-hand man of the FDP leader declares the Greens to be a problem bear.
Flop or calculation?
Berlin - It seems a long time ago: the traffic light gained its first contours in autumn 2021 with a selfie from the leaders of the “citrus coalition” made up of the FDP and the Greens.
Soon, however, there wasn't much left of the smiles and joy over the coup that had simply put the SPD and the Union on hold.
At least Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) and Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) seemed to want to bury the hatchet with a selfie on Wednesday (February 7th).
But the demonstrative harmony doesn't seem all that credible.
The FDP is not only comparatively openly considering leaving the traffic light coalition.
Liberal Secretary General Bijan Djir-Sarai almost simultaneously declared the Greens a very dispensable part of the FDP's power options.
FDP general declares the Greens to be the coalition's problem bear - almost at the same time as the Lindner-Habeck selfie
The background to this statement: CDU leader Friedrich Merz triggered a colorful series of coalition thought games in a newsletter at the weekend.
He named the FDP as his preferred partner - but at the same time doubted whether the Liberals would “survive as a party”.
Real cabinet friends?
Robert Habeck and Christian Lindner shared this photo.
© Screenshot: Instagram/Robert Habeck/MM
Despite this, Djir-Sarai spoke out in favor of an alliance with the Union on Wednesday;
If necessary, in the form of a Germany coalition with the SPD as the third party in the alliance.
What is important is a solid financial policy, compliance with the debt brake and economic growth through investments, reductions in bureaucracy and tax relief.
He had already identified the problem bear in these questions: “However, they are difficult to implement in the government coalition due to the fundamentally different viewpoint, especially of the Greens,” stated the FDP General Secretary.
“The overlap in content with the Union is much greater and I think that a black-yellow coalition could better get our country back on track economically after the next federal election,” Djir-Sarai continued to tell the
dpa
.
He also considered a German coalition to be conceivable.
The CSU is now also considering the idea of an alliance with the Greens.
Lindner and Habeck demonstrate selfie harmony - but the FDP feeds the threatening backdrop
Lindner and Habeck, who had argued about various topics in recent months, had posted a joint, emphatically harmonious photo on Instagram shortly before this report was published on the sidelines of the cabinet meeting in the Chancellery.
My news
Putin mocks Germany and its auto industry: “We should help them” read
Heavy fighting against Wagner mercenaries in Africa: Video shows interrogation by Ukrainian special forcesread
Ukraine is threatened with a serious loss of Avdiivka: Kiev is therefore taking a tank risk reading
Aiwanger scoffs at Söder’s “tips” – it’s hard to read in the Bayern coalition
2 hours ago
Ritual puts pressure on young teachers: “Instructors make it clear that it is expected” read
Russia suspects a plan behind NATO maneuvers: diplomat attacks Germany
According to the attached text, the official reason for the selfie was a previously approved joint funding program for start-up companies.
In fact, it is likely to be primarily a response to speculation about a toxic climate in the traffic light coalition.
At least it was well received by users: there were a good 23,000 likes from followers by the afternoon.
So selfie and declaration of war.
What sounds paradoxical can actually be placed in a political context.
Lindner and Habeck recently presented a consensus on economic policy, albeit one that seemed ambiguous at times.
For parts of the FDP, this apparently seems like an opportunity to break free.
However, before the implied threat of an end to the coalition.
(fn)