A government resembling a traffic light - Kühnert applauds the FDP for not abandoning the coalition.
The Secretary General of the SPD, Kevin Kühnert, expressed appreciation for the FDP's persistence in the coalition with the SPD and the Greens, despite significant disagreements. When asked what he found notable about the Liberals, Kühnert remarked, "Yes - I'm glad they didn't abandon ship in the past two and a half years." Kühnert recognized that the FDP faced difficult circumstances given the left-leaning makeup of their partners, but was impressed by their commitment.
He noted, "The FDP had to traverse the longest path into this coalition and undoubtedly had to contend with the most demands from their own political base, and they've experienced several electoral setbacks since fall 2021. Yet they refused to yield. That demonstrates a fundamental sense of accountability and merits my admiration."
Regarding the prospect of another term for the traffic light coalition following the 2025 federal election, Kühnert reasoned, "It would be unwise to let our chagrin over certain occurrences in the traffic light coalition drive us to exclude them out of spite. That would be illogical given the challenges we're facing."
However, Kühnert disagreed with the FDP's unyielding stance on the debt brake. "Besides FDP leader Carsten Linnemann and possibly a few others, I don't see anyone else in the country who is as inflexible as to claim that our debt regulations are in perfect shape."
FDP leader Christian Lindner disputed the characterization of his party as a government-internal opposition in an interview with "wochentaz." "Some expect the FDP to defy its electoral mandate and just promote red-green politics," Lindner said. He further asserted, "By the way, we plan on continuing to govern."
Read also:
- In its current term, the German government, often referred to as a "traffic light coalition," comprises the SPD, the Greens, and the FDP, with Christian Lindner leading the FDP.
- During a recent interview, FDP leader Lindner defended his party's commitment to governing, refuting the idea that they should abandon their electoral mandate and simply promote policies aligned with the SPD and Greens.
- In Berlin, the capital city of Germany, Kühnert, the Secretary General of the SPD, voiced his appreciation for the FDP's persistence in the coalition, even during challenging times and significant disagreements.
- Despite the difficult circumstances the FDP faced due to the coalition's left-leaning makeup and numerous electoral setbacks since fall 2021, they remained steadfast in their commitment to maintain the traffic light coalition.
- Regarding the prospect of another term for the traffic light coalition after the 2025 federal election, Kühnert advised against excluding the FDP out of spite, citing the challenges the country is currently facing.
