Lindner rejects Merz's call for a vote of confidence by Scholz
The FDP leader said that CDU leader Friedrich Merz 's call for a vote of confidence was "part of the usual opposition gymnastics".
Merz had called on the Chancellor on Wednesday to present the changes to migration policy agreed between the federal and state governments at the beginning of November to the Bundestag as a legislative package in January and to link this to the vote of confidence. Scholz should thus ensure that he still has the support of his coalition.
Scholz had already rejected this demand on Wednesday. In an interview with ARD television, he described it as "a somewhat misguided gesture by the CDU chairman". "The Federal Government has a stable majority and passes its laws," said the Chancellor.
The Basic Law provides for the possibility for the Federal Chancellor to ask the Bundestag to give him a vote of confidence. In this way, the Chancellor can ensure that his policies are still supported by the majority of the Bundestag.
The coalition with the traffic light coalition has weeks of tough negotiations on the 2024 budget behind it, which ended in a compromise on Wednesday. As a result of the budget ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court, a financial gap of 17 billion euros had to be closed. This is now to be achieved through a bundle of measures ranging from savings and tax increases to subsidy cuts.
Within the FDP, there is also a membership survey on whether to remain in the coalition with the SPD and the Greens. However, Linder was relaxed about this. "That doesn't stress me out, because it's an opportunity to make it clear that the FDP is helping to shape the direction of the government," he told RND. Without the FDP, the budget compromise would have resulted in tax increases and more debt, emphasized the FDP leader.
The initiative for the member survey is based on a collection of signatures from the Kassel FDP, which wants the Liberals to withdraw from the coalition. However, the result is not binding for the party leadership.
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- The opposition leader, Christian Lindner of the FDP, firmly dismissed Friedrich Merz's proposal for a vote of confidence in Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
- The demand for a vote of confidence by Merz was viewed by Lindner as part of the standard tactics employed by the opposition.
- Merz had urged Scholz to present the revised migration policy agreements reached in early November before the Bundestag in January and to tie this to a vote of confidence.
- Scholz, however, expressed his opposition to this request on Wednesday, dismissing it as a misguided maneuver by the CDU chairman.
- According to Scholz, the Federal Government has a stable majority and is capable of passing its legislative agenda without the need for a vote of confidence.
- The German Constitution stipulates that the Federal Chancellor has the right to request a vote of confidence from the Bundestag, which can help demonstrate continued support for his policies.
- In the wake of the budget negotiations between the coalition partners, a survey among FDP members is underway to gauge support for remaining in the coalition with the SPD and the Greens.
- Despite the ongoing member survey, Lindner remains optimistic, stating that it provides an opportunity to reinforce the FDP's role in shaping the government's direction.
- During an interview with ARD Television, Scholz indicated that he would consider a vote of confidence if it were necessary, but he emphasized that the Federal Government's legislation is successfully passed with its current majority.
- Editorial Network Germany noted that Merz's call for a vote of confidence has been met with skepticism by many, including his own party members, and questioned the potential effectiveness of such a move in the current political climate.
Source: www.stern.de
