FDP leader Lindner wants more "liberal profile" for the traffic light system
Around 52% of FDP members voted to remain in the traffic light coalition. The leadership sees this as a mandate to strengthen its own positions. The upcoming negotiations on the federal budget could therefore become a new test for the coalition.
In response to the result of the FDP member survey, party leader Christian Lindner has announced a strengthening of the liberal profile in the traffic light coalition. Lindner saw the vote to remain in the coalition as a "clear mandate to continue to show a liberal profile in government action".
In the coming days, the FDP budget experts are likely to work hard to fulfill this mandate. The upcoming final consultations on the 2024 federal budget are likely to be a new test for the coalition - especially as the SPD and Greens will also have to take their own base into consideration. Concessions to the FDP are not going down well there.
Deputy parliamentary group leader Konstantin Kuhle said that the FDP must persistently stand up for issues that it believes are right. "In addition to a solid budget and financial policy, this also includes the reform of social security systems in the new year, for example through the equity pension provided for in the coalition agreement."
In reaction to the result of the vote, Kuhle self-critically pointed out deficits in the communication of the "traffic light". Particularly when it comes to implementing the upcoming reforms in the areas of migration and social policy, he expects the government to "exude the necessary calm and leadership needed to make such difficult decisions", said Kuhle on the Phoenix channel.
Members only narrowly vote for the FDP to remain in the coalition government
FDP deputy leader Wolfgang Kubicki issued a warning to the coalition partners: softening the debt brake, tax increases and a speed limit would not be possible with the FDP. These points had been agreed in the coalition agreement, Kubicki said on Deutschlandfunk radio. "Anyone who no longer wants to make the coalition agreement the basis of joint policy will dissolve this coalition," said the deputy leader. "That must be clear to everyone. We expect the coalition partners to adhere to the agreements." The vote of the base shows "that we as the FDP must become better and more assertive in the coalition, and we are now working on this," Kubicki added.
In the survey of FDP members, a narrow majority of 52% of participants voted against the party leaving the ruling traffic light coalition. The online survey was initiated by party members who were dissatisfied with their participation in the traffic light coalition. The party leadership had campaigned to remain in the coalition.
Kubicki hints at new conflicts with the Greens
The sharper profile announced by the FDP leadership is unlikely to make cooperation in the "traffic light" coalition any easier. There could be new conflicts with the Greens in particular - Kubicki hinted at this in the radio interview. "We will document that there are good creative approaches in climate policy, as well as in economic and financial policy, which differ from the distribution mechanism of the Greens."
FDP board member Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann saw the narrow result of the member survey as an incentive for her party. Strack-Zimmermann told the Düsseldorfer "Rheinische Post": "The result shows us that the members are of the opinion that we should implement and enforce even more free democratic policies."
The deadline for taking part in the online survey, which was launched two weeks ago, ended on Monday afternoon. The question was: "Should the FDP end the coalition with the SPD and Greens as part of the federal government?" Members were able to answer yes or no. The FDP's constitution stipulates that 500 signatures from members are sufficient to hold a non-binding survey of the party's 72,000 members.
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Source: www.ntv.de
