“Work very well together”
Scholz ignores toxic sounds in the traffic lights
8/29/2022 4:53 p.m
After widespread criticism of Habeck’s gas levy, the SPD leader steps up again. The Greens react to Klingbeil’s patronizing criticism with an all-round smack to the Chancellor. Scholz is now relaxed in Prague and praises the great working style of the traffic light.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized the cooperation of the coalition in the energy price crisis, despite the recent venomous taunts between the traffic light parties and also to his address. “We work very closely and very well together, especially with regard to the decisions that are now imminent,” said Scholz at a press conference in Prague. “That will be shown again this week on many occasions.”
The aim is to bring about further relief for citizens, to react efficiently to the increased gas prices and to ensure security of supply in Germany. Scholz referred to the cabinet meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday in Meseberg. “And we will also have to talk about it when all the opinions have come together that we have to use to make a decision. This decision is imminent. And I can only report that it is happening in very close, good cooperation and is very efficient in the way we develop it together,” emphasized the Chancellor.
“Disloyal Behavior and Resentment in the Koa”
The SPD and FDP had recently voiced open criticism of the Green Economics Minister Robert Habeck because of the controversial gas levy. Sharper tones came from the Greens in the direction of the SPD. The Green parliamentary group leader Konstantin von Notz, for example, had criticized Scholz’s style of government in an unusually drastic manner. “The Chancellor’s poor performance, his lousy poll numbers, memory gaps at #Warburg and his responsibility at #Northstream2 will not be healed by disloyal behavior and resentment in the koa,” Notz wrote on Twitter.
On the other hand, the SPD and FDP criticize Habeck in particular because of the controversial gas levy. SPD chairman Lars Klingbeil accused the vice chancellor of “technical errors” at the weekend. With regard to Habeck’s good poll numbers, Klingbeil added that “nice words” alone were not enough. FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai described the gas levy as a “misdesign”. Habeck had already announced corrections to the gas levy.
“Shrilling sounds: that just happens”
The Greens co-chairman Omid Nouripour attributed responsibility for the irritated statements of his party friend von Notz to the SPD. “We all know that bad habits stick. The SPD had Groko for twelve years and maintained a different tone within the coalition,” said Nouripour on the sidelines of the closed meeting of the Greens board in Laatzen near Hanover, with a view to the long-standing coalition SPD and Union. This is now taking revenge. Referring to SPD leader Klingbeil, he said: “The fact that some shrill tones meet with astonishment among our people, that just happens.”
On Monday morning, Klingbeil struck “completely different tones”. That’s why we are very relaxed and in conversation with each other. “All in all, I can only say that we work well together and that the tone that we have heard from the coalition partners in the last few days should not become the norm and we also assume that it will not become the norm.”
When asked about the mood within the coalition, the Green leader said: “People don’t want us to argue. People want solutions.” Disputes on the matter are “more than normal” given the size of the challenges.