As of: February 18, 2024, 11:35 a.m
By: Nikolas Pelke
Comments
Press
Split
In Nuremberg, Robert Habeck was probably given a Ludwig Erhard figure at his side in the hope of a new economic miracle.
© Daniel Karmann / IHK
In Nuremberg, Robert Habeck (Greens) admitted that the traffic light had lost its narrative.
Instead of progress, security could inspire citizens more, reflected the Vice Chancellor at the “Citizens’ Dialogue” in the “Haus der Wirtschaft”.
Nuremberg - Farmers recently received Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) in Nuremberg with boos to demonstrate loudly but, according to the police, peacefully against the traffic light policy.
The “Citizen Dialogue” in the “Haus der Wirtschaft” near the Schöner Brunnen on the main market was a little quieter but not much less critical.
Right at the start, Armin Zitzmann, President of the Nuremberg Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Middle Franconia (IHK), took out the verbal mallet and reminded Habeck of the clever economic policy of his famous predecessor from Franconia.
(By the way: Our Nuremberg newsletter regularly informs you about all important stories from Middle Franconia and the Franconian metropolis. Register here.)
It was probably no coincidence that the President of the Nuremberg Chamber of Industry and Commerce for Middle Franconia (IHK), Armin Zitzmann (right), presented Vice Chancellor Habeck with a mini Erhard at the start of his visit to Nuremberg.
© Daniel Karmann / IHK
Habeck in Nuremberg: Business is hungry for positive news from Berlin
Ludwig Erhard coined the wise sentence that economic policy consists of 50 percent psychology.
“What we need as an economy is positive news,” Zitzmann wrote in the minister’s register in memory of “our favorite economics minister.”
The traffic light must finally take measures that give hope again and could act like a bright streak of hope on the gloomy horizon.
“Everyone knows that the situation is difficult now.
“There’s no need to beat around the bush,” said Zitzmann, formulating his criticism in a friendly but firm manner.
“We need signals that things are getting better.” Germany can only function as a welfare state with the bubbling tax money from a flourishing economy, Zitzmann reminded the minister while handing over a small Ludwig Ehrhard sculpture of another truism from the Franconian economic miracle economy minister.
My news
“Funny story that stinks to high heaven”: Lost dog Zenzi ends up in the animal shelter
Metal icon makes comeback at Rock im Park after a five-year break - one act is selected
“Would do anything for his people”: Klaus is looking for a new home reading
Bavarian villages assessed by a jury: Five places awarded for quality of liferead
“Illegally introduced again”: Lessy and Lucy are looking for a new home
Eugen was simply abandoned: Husky is looking for a new home
With Erhard plastic in hand, Habeck ponders how the traffic light completely lost its narrative after the outbreak of war in Ukraine.
© Daniel Karmann / IHK
Traffic light self-reflection: From promise to threat
On stage, Habeck later self-critically admitted that the coalition had lost its guiding idea.
Just as other people lose a cell phone or a hat, the traffic light after the outbreak of war in Ukraine would not have found a replacement for the proclaimed narrative of red-green-yellow progress.
The idea of progress has changed from a promise to a threat, said Habeck and attested to society's acute fatigue with change, which, in the eyes of observers, collides with the traffic light's frenzy of change almost like a head-on crash on the motorway.
Habeck met with around 150 selected guests for a “citizen dialogue” in the “Haus der Wirtschaft” near Nuremberg’s main market.
© Daniel Karmann / IHK
Everything was shaken by the war.
This is not an excuse, but an explanation for the fact that the government has lost a lot of trust. Habeck analyzed the poor general condition of the country almost as if he were sitting on a psychiatrist's couch.
The thesis of self-reflection is: If there had not been the Russian war of aggression and the multiple subsequent crises in money, energy, etc., the traffic light would have processed the coalition agreement comparatively calmly and successfully, Habeck uses the subjunctive according to the motto: Would have, would have, Bicycle chain.
The police had cordoned off and secured the area in front of the event building.
© Nikolas Pelke
“We wouldn’t have gotten lost like that,” Habeck believes, looking back, that he knows the reason for the whole mess.
The coalition simply would not have had time to develop a new traffic light idea such as security or defense as a leitmotif.
“So we rushed through the last two years,” said Habeck, claiming that there was simply not enough time to recalibrate the coalition’s compass.
From the green eco-conversion to the leaden war economy, historians will perhaps overwrite this chapter of the traffic light in the future.
Around 350 participants in a peaceful rally at the Schöner Brunnen greeted Habeck with boos and protest posters.
© Nikolas Pelke
Fears about the future are driving demonstrators onto the streets
What some might regard as unsparing self-criticism, others might perceive as a hair-raising oath of disclosure.
Especially the farmers outside the cold door of the warm hall with the hand-picked audience would probably not have just touched their heads at these words.
Dairy farmer Mathias Rodler from near Weißenburg currently doesn't know whether he can actually successfully pass his farm on to the next generation.
© Nikolas Pelke
“We are being deprived of air for the future.
“I’m really here for the next generation today,” said dairy farmer Mathias Rodler as one of around 350 demonstrators, while the Vice-Chancellor was probably almost on his way to the Munich security conference in his thoughts, perhaps to find a new narrative for them to find a broken traffic light.
You can find more news in our brand new Merkur.de app, now in an improved design with more personalization functions.
Directly available for download, more information can be found here.
Are you an enthusiastic user of WhatsApp?
Merkur.de will now keep you up to date via a new Whatsapp channel.
Click here to go directly to the channel.