Kubicki wants to enforce FDP policy even more strongly
And every day the groundhog greets the groundhog: the FDP leadership's credo after recent unsuccessful state elections should also apply now. The Liberals' deputy leader, Wolfgang Kubicki, wants to push through his party's issues more often within the coalition. He has already named a few examples.
Following the FDP members' vote in favor of remaining in the traffic light coalition, deputy party leader Wolfgang Kubicki wants to ensure greater visibility for his party in the alliance with the SPD and Greens. "That doesn't mean we have to stop governing. It just means that we as the FDP must become better and more assertive in the coalition. And we are working on that now," Kubicki said on Deutschlandfunk radio. He appealed to the coalition partners to make the country capable of reform. The appeal was directed in particular at the Greens, who had stopped and torpedoed a number of joint projects in recent weeks.
With a view to the preparation of the 2024 federal budget, which has still not been passed, Kubicki warned that farmers should not be unduly burdened. Improvements must be made for farmers with regard to agricultural diesel and vehicle tax. It is also time to reform the Climate Protection Act so that the overall balance is considered and not targets for individual sectors.
Kubicki also insisted on compliance with the coalition agreement with reference to the debt brake. "Anyone who no longer wants to make the coalition agreement the basis for joint policy will dissolve this coalition. That must be clear to everyone involved," warned the Vice President of the Bundestag. In the FDP member vote, 52.24% voted in favor of continuing the coalition government. 47.76 percent wanted to end the alliance, as the party announced on Monday. However, only 26,058 of around 72,100 members took part in the survey.
Fear of new elections influences vote
Kubicki expressed his satisfaction with the result of the membership vote. This was not a close result. Less than a fifth of party members had ultimately voted in favor of leaving the coalition.
One of the initiators of the member survey, Matthias Nölke, called the upcoming budget consultations a "first litmus test" to ensure that the party leadership had understood the outcome of the member survey. The Kassel FDP leader called the vote a "clear warning shot" on the WDR5 radio station. He expects the party to "stand on its hind legs more". "The country is heading in the wrong direction. And the FDP is helping a policy for which it was not elected ... to a majority," complained Nölke, citing energy and migration policy. Nölke emphasized that he respected the members' vote. He expected the FDP leadership to take note of the position of a "very large minority". He also knew from many that they had voted to remain in the coalition only out of fear of new elections.
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In regards to the upcoming budget discussions, Kubicki emphasizes the importance of considering farmers' needs, particularly in regards to agricultural diesel and vehicle tax, while also advocating for reforms to the Climate Protection Act to ensure a balanced approach.
Furthermore, Kubicki reiterates the FDP's commitment to the debt brake clause in the coalition agreement, stating that anyone who wishes to abandon this agreement should be prepared to dissolve the coalition.
Additionally, Alliance 90/The Greens has been a point of contention for Kubicki, who has expressed concern over the Greens' blocking of several joint projects and urged them to contribute to national reforms.
Source: www.ntv.de
