Update
Incendiary letter to party leadership
FDP politicians demand: “urgently reconsider” traffic lights
October 31, 2023, 8:25 a.m
In an incendiary letter, 26 state and local politicians from the FDP launched an all-out attack. They are dissatisfied with the nuclear phase-out, migration policy and citizens’ money – but especially with the coalition partners at the federal level.
In an open letter, FDP state and local politicians questioned the traffic light coalition in the federal government with the SPD and the Greens because of the poor election results in Hesse and Bavaria. “The FDP must urgently reconsider its coalition partners,” write the 26 signatories from Schleswig-Holstein, Rhineland-Palatinate, Bavaria, Hamburg, Baden-Württemberg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and North Rhine-Westphalia in the document, which is available to ntv, entitled ” Wake-up call freedom!” to the FDP parliamentary group and the federal executive board.
The FDP was explicitly punished by the voters for the federal government’s services. “State parliamentary groups that have no responsibility for FDP federal policy themselves had to accept considerable losses.” In terms of content, the signatories call the “completely emotionally motivated” exit from nuclear energy a “mistake” and the heating law “unspeakable”. They describe migration policy as “patchwork” and complain about a “flood of regulations” in the administration. They also criticize citizens’ money.
FDP leader Lindner for remaining in the traffic light coalition
It goes on to say that the party is bending itself beyond recognition in the coalition. The signatories warn of the “imminent demise of the only liberal party” in Germany. However, there are alternatives. “We call on the party executive to seriously consider these alternatives and, if necessary, to look for other coalition partners who work for the interests of Germany and not for a quasi-religious ideology.”
The FDP performed poorly in the state elections in Hesse and Bavaria on October 8th. In Bavaria, the Liberals missed out on entering the state parliament with 3 percent. In Hesse they had managed it by a hair’s breadth with 5 percent. The FDP federal chairman Christian Lindner described the election results as a “work order” for the traffic lights in Berlin. “All three coalition partners lost,” he said. “And that’s why our job now is to critically examine our government work.”
Meanwhile, party leader Christian Lindner has spoken out in favor of the FDP in the traffic light coalition. The task of the different traffic light parties is to constantly come to a common denominator, said Lindner, according to the “Rheinischer Post” on Monday evening at a newspaper event in Düsseldorf. He stands by the compromises and decisions of the traffic light. As long as that is possible, he will remain loyal to the traffic lights.
“I don’t blame the Greens for having a fundamentally different view of society than I do,” Lindner continued, according to the newspaper. However, if it came to a point where justifiable compromises could no longer be found, his statement that it was better not to govern than to govern incorrectly would still apply.