After 16 years of Merkel standstill, the SPD, FDP and Greens have set about renewing the Federal Republic under the motto “dare more progress”. Almost nothing is left of it. The foundation for populism from the left and the right is only getting bigger as a result.
When the SPD, Greens and FDP presented their coalition agreement, the partners exuded something like the urgently needed spirit of optimism after 16 years with Angela Merkel. In fact, the agreement contained some courageous projects. Above all, the sound made the music. Robert Habeck’s honesty was new in political Berlin. He spoke openly about the risk for the Greens and FDP of angering their own clientele by cutting back on demands. Habeck recalled his words before the formation of the black-yellow-green Jamaica coalition in Schleswig-Holstein in 2017: “It may be that we will now make a decision that will lead us into the abyss.”
The traffic light agreement was logically titled “Dare to make more progress”. Behind this was the correct idea that thinking in two camps, left and right, no longer reflects reality. This is anchored in the preamble, the ceremonial introduction to the coalition agreement: “We have different traditions and perspectives, but we all agree on the willingness to jointly assume responsibility for Germany’s future, the goal of driving forward the necessary modernization, the awareness that this progress must also be accompanied by a promise of security and the confidence that this can succeed together.”
In short: peace, joy, traffic light. But no sooner had the hymns of praise for their own courage and mutual trust to master the challenge for the benefit of the population faded away than the argument began. Since then, one conflict has followed the next, only interrupted by assurances that everything will really get better very soon, although nobody believes this anymore because experience speaks a different language. There is almost nothing left of “dare more progress”, combined with “with a promise of security”. On the contrary, mildew is hanging over the country with a depressed, irritable and insecure population, in which the state is increasingly felt to be helpless.
It was clear from the start – that is, even before Russia invaded Ukraine with all its dramatic consequences – that traffic lights would find it brutally difficult in times of growing polarization to find compromises that would benefit the base of the three parties and the vast majority of society cheer. Nevertheless, it falls short of the blame for the misery only on Putin’s war. Above all, it is the way of governing between mediocrity and incompetence that is frustrating. Bitter is now taking revenge that the coalition agreement remained vague at key points. The spirit of optimism turned into a self-blockade at the expense of the country.
Scholz – a mix of Buddha and official
Motionless and speechless, Olaf Scholz is enthroned above the whole thing as a mix of Buddha and official. “Anyone who orders leadership from me will get it,” he said before the general election. 73 percent of voters deny his assertiveness – an enormous value for a head of government who leads a country that is (still) the fourth largest economy in the world. The chancellor recently called “the diagnosis” “inaccurate.” The reaction to the disastrous survey results reveals the gap between the self-image of a professional politician and public perception. So 73 percent are wrong. Modesty and humility in front of the electorate would look different.
Scholz does not lead, but is a silent observer – and connoisseur – of the situation. As if the smartphone hadn’t been invented yet, he wrote a letter to his Minister for Family Affairs, Lisa Paus, in the struggle for the planned basic child security, which was rated as a “word of power”. The whole nation has known what effect that had since Wednesday: none. The Green politician stopped Finance Minister Christian Lindner’s law for (hopefully) more economic opportunities in the cabinet because he doesn’t want to spend billions on her project. This is blackmail, the form of politics that the Greens like to accuse autocratic rulers of.
The Chancellor was not prepared for this. Or he didn’t care. In any case, everyone can do whatever they want in their cabinet. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who wants to become Prime Minister in Hesse, has transformed her department into a campaign office and is creating an image for herself as a law-and-order politician who does not shy away from unconstitutional collective expulsions of family members of criminals – ideas of this kind usually get from the SPD the inscription “right-wing populist” attached.
When it comes to Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock’s travel diplomacy, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between necessity and PR appointments. As a member of the opposition, Christian Lindner explained: “Digitization is a personal matter close to my heart.” As Minister of Finance, he wants to cut spending on computers and software in the federal administration from 377 million to 3.3 million euros. And by the way, he taunts the Greens as if he weren’t in a coalition with them.
The fear is around
The population has gotten used to all of this, political fatigue has become rigid. Or radicalism, behind which grows the wish that a German Trump should fix it. With all the noise, nobody notices what is happening, such as the housing benefit reform by Building Minister Klara Geywitz, which relieves more people in the lower middle class and reduces bureaucracy. The “heating hammer” and the – above all psychologically unwise – shutdown of the nuclear power plants remain in the memory.
The fear goes around – and doesn’t get any smaller. Prosperity and competitiveness are at risk. Domestic demand is weakening, Germany continues to focus on exports, which require world trade to flourish. US President Joe Biden has launched an investment package worth around 433 billion dollars to make American industry climate-proof and future-proof. Meanwhile, the traffic light pretends that the rest of the world is just waiting for innovative world rescue products “Made in Germany”. The attempt to combine climate protection with economic awakening is not getting anywhere, apart from a few more wind turbines.
What remains are socio-political decisions such as the law intended to improve life for transgender and intersex people, or the legalization of cannabis. But they do not strengthen the basis for economic prosperity. Nobody has to wonder why the AfD has a constant 21 percent approval rating. Even the high polling value will ensure that there will be no new elections. The alliance will last until autumn 2025 in the hope that the AfD will lose again by then. You don’t have to be a prophet to say: The AfD will not collapse, it’s too late for that. After 16 years of Merkel standstill, the traffic light is about to ruin Germany. Sad. Because the foundation for populism from left and right is only getting bigger.