Traffic light dispute
Coalition members insist – Union calls for Steinmeier
Updated 10/27/2024 – 12:09 p.mReading time: 3 min.
Economic policy, competing events, budget, debt brake – the list of traffic light controversial topics is long. A former vice-chancellor is worried. The Union is now relying on intervention from above.
Eleven months before the federal election, the traffic light coalition is divided in key policy areas. At the weekend, several politicians from the SPD, Greens and FDP reproached each other. Former SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel is giving the coalition a thumbs up. Union politicians see Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier questioned if the SPD, Greens and FDP do not get their squabbles under control.
The coalition is currently arguing over economic policy. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has invited people to an industrial summit in the Chancellery on Tuesday. Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) and Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) are left out. The FDP parliamentary group – with Lindner as a guest – wants to meet with business representatives on the same day. After Scholz’s announcement, Habeck, in turn, proposed a debt-financed “Germany Fund” to promote investments.
CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt pointed out in “Bild am Sonntag” that the coalition partners had sworn to prevent damage to the German people. “This also includes the willingness to dissolve a failed coalition. If the chaos traffic light is unable to do this, the Federal President should show the three traffic light parties the options for separation in a discussion,” emphasized Dobrindt.
Union parliamentary group vice-president Mathias Middelberg told the newspaper: “In this constant state of rigidity of a government, the Federal President should now intervene, warn and set a clear deadline: Either the program for the recovery is coming now, or the traffic lights must clear the way.” The constant traffic light dispute is paralyzing the entire country. The coalition no longer wants to govern, but just drag its feet until the election.
The SPD and the Greens reacted angrily to the FDP business meeting at the weekend. SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich warned in the “Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung”: “The finance minister should concentrate on his department and not try to torpedo the Chancellor’s work with his own event.” Green party deputy Andreas Audretsch criticized in the “Bild”: “The times are too serious for summit ping-pong. We have to do what is necessary together.”
Audretsch promoted Habeck’s proposal for an investment fund. Mützenich, in turn, distanced himself from this and pointed out that such a move would require the approval of the opposition. In general, he “could easily have done without Habeck’s impulse,” said the SPD parliamentary group leader.
The 2025 federal budget also harbors potential for dispute. After the latest tax estimate, Lindner made it clear that there was no scope for a distribution policy. Rather, you will have to save additional money. Several billion euros are still missing from the draft budget. The gap must be closed by the crucial meeting of the Budget Committee on November 14th.
FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr referred to savings options in “Bild am Sonntag”. In this way, the costs for accommodation for citizens’ benefit recipients could be switched from individual to flat rates and thus save one to two billion euros. The coalition must also “of course look at the subsidies” and “critically question” payments to non-governmental organizations.
SPD leader Saskia Esken, for her part, called for massive government investments of up to 600 billion euros in the next few years to stimulate the economy in Germany. “Now is not the time to save, now is the time to invest,” Esken told the newspapers of the Funke media group. She once again called for a move away from the strict debt rules and criticized Lindner’s “uncompromising adherence to the debt brake.”
Former SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel was concerned about the state of the coalition: “In view of the latest developments, one should actually say: Stop or think about it,” he told the “Augsburger Allgemeine”. “What is supposed to be sold to the public as a coalition is becoming an increasingly dangerous process that only promotes political anger and thus extremism,” complained the former Vice Chancellor.
The coalition dispute also followed government members as far as India. Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) warned at the conclusion of German-Indian government consultations: “Our job is to solve problems and not wrangle fingers.” While visiting a technology institute in Goa, Chancellor Scholz was asked by a student what it was like to lead a coalition government. “Well,” says Scholz. “I want to be very honest: the coalition government that I lead is not the easiest in the world.”