SPD attacks traffic light - "Ideological aberrations"

Parties - SPD attacks traffic light - "Ideological aberrations"

At the start of the election year, Brandenburg's SPD deputy leader Katrin Lange fiercely attacked the traffic light coalition in the federal government. The Finance Minister accused the alliance of SPD, Greens and FDP of being a cause of discontent, particularly in the east of Germany. In her criticism, the SPD politician took particular aim at the Greens, who are a coalition partner in Brandenburg alongside the CDU. New state parliaments will be elected in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg in September. The AfD has recently been ahead in the polls in each case.

"I would advise everyone to take the mood very seriously. There are reasons for it," the Finance Minister told the Märkische Oderzeitung newspaper. However, Brandenburg is "all in all doing well". The SPD is "probably not entirely uninvolved" in this. "Of course, the federal trend is not helping us at the moment. But we're not the traffic light coalition in Berlin either. In comparison, sometimes a scattered bunch of chickens is still a well-positioned fighting formation."

According to Lange, resentment has grown. "Nobody in Europe, from Sweden to Italy, has understood Germany's migration policy for a long time. Then there's the German energy transition, which is not a role model for anyone worldwide either," she said. "When it comes to a sensible migration policy, it's basically the Greens who are constantly putting the brakes on. We also have them to thank for the ideological aberrations in climate and energy policy, which are causing acceptance to plummet. That's why resentment is growing, and not just in the East."

Criticism of the traffic light coalition as early as November

Minister President and SPD state leader Woidke was not sparing in his criticism of the traffic light coalition at the state party conference in November - in the presence of SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Woidke said that he sometimes wondered whether everyone was aware of the great responsibility they bear in terms of state policy. "I have my doubts about some of them," said Woidke, adding: "But not the SPD."

However, not everything is running smoothly in Woidke's red-black-green coalition either. The alliance is entering the election year with contentious issues such as the climate plan, hunting law, mobility law and the constitutionality check.

CDU parliamentary group leader Jan Redmann, who would like to replace Woidke as head of government, would prefer to continue governing without the Greens: "A look at Berlin or Saxony-Anhalt makes it clear that alliances led by the CDU and without the Greens move the state forward," he said. Lange had this to say about the Greens: "Incidentally, I have never made a secret of my criticism of the Greens in terms of content."

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1. Despite the criticism from Katrin Lange, the SPD deputy leader in Brandenburg, the region is generally doing well.
2. Lange accused the traffic light coalition, composed of SPD, Greens, and FDP, of causing discontent, particularly in eastern Germany.
3. The AfD has been leading in the polls in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg, which will hold state elections in September.
4. Lange took aim at the Greens, their coalition partner in Brandenburg, for hindering a sensible migration policy and causing ideological aberrations in climate and energy policy.
5. The CDU, with parliamentary group leader Jan Redmann preferring to govern without the Greens, also has contentious issues in its red-black-green coalition, including climate plan, hunting law, mobility law, and constitutionality check.
6. Woidke, minister president and SPD state leader, criticized the traffic light coalition at the state party conference in November in the presence of SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
7. MOZ newspaper reported that Finance Minister Lange advised taking the growing resentment in eastern Germany seriously, linking it to migration policy and energy transition.
8. Frankfurt-based MOZ is one of the major German regional newspapers covering politics, economy, and culture in eastern Germany and beyond.

Source: www.stern.de