Lindner rejects coalition under red chancellor
The next Bundestag election is in about a year. FDP leader Lindner makes it clear what his party won't stand for: "More green," a green chancellor, or a greener government program, wouldn't fit with the Liberals. Instead, Finance Minister Lindner is calling for fundamental reform of the welfare state.
FDP leader Christian Lindner has ruled out his party's participation in a potential Bundestag government led by the Greens: "It's clear to me: More green, meaning a green chancellor and a greener government program, wouldn't fit with us," the Finance Minister told ARD-"Hauptstadstudio" in an interview. "Where are the rumors of a traffic light coalition? Because the FDP is countering a politics, like SPD and Greens, that would be carried out without us. We'd like to continue that."
Lindner spoke out on the "Ask Yourself" social media format, where viewers can submit questions online before the classical ARD "Summer Interview" is broadcast. A user reportedly asked if Lindner would support a government with Green participation again. He replied that it was open, but the programs were not yet known. The FDP would take a position at the appropriate time. However, the re-entry of the FDP into the Bundestag is not yet certain. According to the current RTL/ntv Trendbarometer, the FDP is at 5 percent and just above the threshold for entry into parliament.
The Finance Minister announced that his party would campaign in the next Bundestag election with the promise of reforming the welfare state. "In a nutshell, away from the redistribution state, towards an activating welfare state," Lindner said. This would include more spending on education and language promotion - but also "clear requirements for those who can work but don't."
Zero round for Citizen's Income planned
At the next Bundestag election, there will be two options, said the FDP politician further. The first means higher taxes and more debt. This way is also being discussed in France after the latest parliamentary elections, but concerns about economic stability are associated with it. "The other way is more ambitious structural reforms and a growth-friendly policy," emphasized Lindner.
The FDP politician remains firm in his assessment that there will be no further increase in Citizen's Income in the coming year and calls for further reforms of social benefits. "Citizen's Income has not met expectations, and therefore must be further reformed," he said. In the next year, there will be a zero round for Citizen's Income. "It won't be raised, while the working population will be burdened with higher income and payroll taxes. That widens the gap again, and that's what the population also expects."
Lindner added: "Those who need it, those who need help, those who deserve our solidarity, need the security that they or he will receive it." But those who don't work, deliberately reject offers, or illegally reside in Germany should not benefit from the German welfare state. "And to understand the order of magnitude, that's about multi-billion Euro amounts."
Regarding the debt brake, Lindner also insists on its observance – even if the billion-dollar gap in the draft budget for 2025 is not reduced by converting subsidies, for instance, to the German Railways or the Autobahn Corporation. "I will not support constitutional risks or economically nonsensical measures as Finance Minister," he stated. He is therefore waiting for the legal review to determine if the conversion of subsidies to the Railways and the Autobahn Corporation is permissible and sensible.
Otherwise, alternatives must be explored until the budget's passage at the end of November. "We will have to discuss alternatives in the budget drafting process," Lindner said. "There is no alternative to acknowledging the crisis within the debt brake."
In the tug-of-war over defense spending, Lindner also defended his previous stance. "We have achieved the two-percent target for NATO for the first time in many, many years," the FDP leader said in an interview with ARD's "Hauptstadtstudio." We spend more than France and Italy. In the coming years, at least two percent of the economic output will continue to be allocated for security. "It's not the case that everything the Defense Minister says is automatically justified and correct," Lindner emphasized. It's about tax money and the efficiency of funding allocation.
According to Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, the budgeted funds for the coming year are insufficient, considering the international security situation and potential threats to Germany. The budget draft approved by the Federal Cabinet calls for the defense budget to increase from its current 52 billion euros by 1.25 billion euros. Pistorius had demanded more. "We need to have a fundamental discussion in the Federal Government about how we want to ensure our security," the SPD politician told the "Tagesspiegel" a few days ago.
- FDP leader Christian Lindner has proposed fundamental reform of the welfare state, referring to the need to move away from the redistribution state towards an activating welfare state.
- Boris Pistorius, the Defense Minister, has stated that the budgeted funds for the coming year are insufficient, considering the international security situation and potential threats to Germany.
- Despite defense spending reaching the two-percent NATO target for the first time in years and surpassing France and Italy, Finance Minister Lindner has stressed that not everything the Defense Ministry suggests is justified and correct, focusing on the efficiency of funding allocation.
- As part of his party's promise for the next Bundestag election, Lindner has highlighted the importance of social systems and called for more spending on education and language promotion, while also emphasizing clear requirements for those who can work but don't.
- The Free Democratic Party (FDP) leader, Christian Lindner, has ruled out supporting a greener government program or a green chancellor, stating that it would not fit with the Liberals and reiterating that his party would continue to counter the politics of the SPD and Greens without their participation.
