As of: February 27, 2024, 12:38 p.m
By: Jens Kiffmeier
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Anger at your own government: According to Cem Özdemir (Greens), the constant dispute obscures the view of the successes.
In fact, the traffic light is better than its reputation.
Berlin - Delivery of Taurus rockets for Ukraine, new special funds for the Bundeswehr, abolition of the debt brake - hardly a day goes without a new controversial topic in the traffic light coalition.
But within the federal government, dissatisfaction with its own external appearance is growing.
Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) now accused the coalition leaders of destroying their own successes through their actions.
Broadside from Özdemir: Minister criticizes the behavior of the traffic light coalition
If the coalition continues like this, it will go down in history as a government “that actually has a pretty decent record,” said Cem Özdemir at the Ständehaus meeting of the
Rheinische Post
.
But the achievements hardly reach anywhere “because we argue like tinkers,” added the Green Party minister.
“Sometimes we don’t treat ourselves to the black under our fingernails.”
Crashes in the polls constantly provoke new traffic light disputes
In fact, the sober balance of the traffic light coalition is far better than is often assumed.
However, almost two years after taking office, the federal government is struggling with a decline in the polls.
The SPD around Chancellor Olaf Scholz is only in third place behind the Union and the AfD, closely followed by the Greens.
The situation of Finance Minister Christian Lindner's FDP is particularly bitter, as it is currently struggling with the five percent hurdle and has to fear re-entry into the Bundestag.
After various defeats in state elections, many liberals are insisting on a better presentation of their own ideas - but this regularly leads to arguments with the two government partners.
Sees clumsy actions in the coalition: Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir does not skimp on criticism of Economics Minister Robert Habeck (both Greens).
© Fabian Sommer/dpa
The FDP insists, among other things, on maintaining the debt brake.
However, in view of the tense situation, parts of the SPD and the Greens can definitely imagine easing the restrictions - in order to release necessary investments in defense or climate protection.
There had previously been a dispute for months about the nuclear phase-out and the heating law by Economics Minister Robert Habeck.
“Not smart”: Özdemir accuses Habeck, Scholz and Lindner of making mistakes in farmers’ protests
From Özdemir's point of view, there are also tactical mistakes.
As an example, he cited the current conflicts with the farmers' protests, which the Greens in particular are feeling the effects of.
The coalition “truly made mistakes,” Özdemir told the
Rheinische Post
.
He criticized Scholz, Habeck and Lindner when it came to the austerity decision, which, for example, stipulates the abolition of subsidies for agricultural diesel.
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“It wasn’t smart that the corrections took so long,” said Özdemir.
If this had been done immediately and not after the turn of the year, the farmers' protests would probably not have occurred in their current form.
“This is what we did wrong.
We have to correct that as quickly as possible.”
The Minister of Agriculture is not alone in his criticism.
The Green Party leader Omid Nouripour supported Özdemir.
“What he says is right.
We achieved a lot together as a coalition and but we talked it out along the way with too much arguing,” said Nouripour on the
RTL/ntv Frühstart
program .
There is consensus on this in the coalition.
“It's difficult to park right now and the question of how to get there.
But we will have to do it,” Nouripour said.
The country needs a government that provides support.
Better than its reputation: Study confirms that Ampel is doing a good job
A few months ago, a study by the Bertelsmann Foundation showed how much of a gap there is between public perception and actual reality when it comes to work performance.
At least based on what was agreed in the coalition agreement, the traffic light government's mid-term balance is good.
The federal government has already either implemented or at least already tackled almost two thirds of the 453 projects.
According to the analysis, 174 promises have already been fully or partially fulfilled (38 percent).
In addition, a further 55 projects (twelve percent) are in the process of being fulfilled and a further 62 promises (14 percent) are on a “substantial” path.
Only 162 promises (36 percent) have so far neither been fulfilled nor addressed, it said.
The bottom line is that study director Robert Vehrkamp drew a positive conclusion.
Overall, we are dealing with a “very promising mid-term balance,” Die
Zeit
quoted him as saying, “but it is overshadowed and characterized by publicly staged coalition disputes and many open construction sites.”
At least that has now arrived in some parts of the traffic light government.
(jkf/with material from afp)