“That would be suicide”
Gerhart Baum warns FDP against traffic light exit
24.09.2024, 00:00
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FDP veteran Gerhart Baum is harshly critical of the FDP leadership. The former interior minister raves about the broad line-up of the liberals under Genscher. Secretary General Djir-Sarai calls on Baum to leave if he no longer likes the traffic light coalition. He strongly advises the rest of his party against breaking up the coalition.
Former Federal Minister of the Interior Gerhart Baum has warned his party against leaving the traffic light coalition, as FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai is demanding. “The FDP must not leave the traffic light coalition under any circumstances. That would be suicide,” the FDP politician told the Düsseldorf “Rheinische Post”. “We might not get into the Bundestag in new elections, which face significant constitutional hurdles.” In addition, now is not the time for an early federal election campaign that would tie up all our resources, added the former minister. “Our country and the world have completely different problems now. An exit by the FDP from the traffic light coalition would be an escape from responsibility. If General Secretary Djir-Sarai wants to leave, then he should go.”
According to Baum, the FDP must focus on a broader range of policies. “Concern for financial stability and economic growth is important. But it must not be the main goal of the liberals,” he said. “The facets of liberalism are much more far-reaching. We are experiencing a crisis in world politics that has not been seen in decades. And we as the FDP do not have the necessary perspectives that Genscher would have today, including on Europe’s role in world politics.”
Baum also called for a course correction in economic policy. “We must do everything we can to keep core industries such as the automotive industry, the chemical industry and steel in the country. We cannot allow the failures of the automotive industry in particular to lead to mass unemployment. If necessary, we must use state aid and investments – as in the case of the Meyer shipyard – to keep production in our own country.” The FDP politician also called for improvements in environmental protection. “Technical innovations must continue to be supported and, of course, growth must be promoted, ecological growth.”
Lindner gives himself time until 21 December
After the state election in Brandenburg, which was devastating for the FDP, FDP General Secretary Djir-Sarai said that a coalition is successful if it is able to “tackle and solve the problems in the state”. If a coalition is not able to do this, “there is a real problem”, he said on Phoenix. Deputy party leader Wolfgang Kubicki speculated that the coalition would end before Christmas. The Bavarian state party leader Martin Hagen even openly called for a break in the traffic light coalition.
FDP leader Christian Lindner diagnosed that the traffic light coalition was facing an “autumn of decisions”. Lindner called for rapid decisions to be made in the areas of economy, finance and migration. These are the “questions that must be clarified this autumn,” he said. Specifically, he spoke of a period up to December 21st.