Constant dispute, bad poll numbers and a weakening economy: the traffic light at the cabinet meeting in Meseberg wants to counteract all of this. Can this work?
Schloss Meseberg in Brandenburg is rich in architectural gems. One of them can be found in the baroque garden of the property: a pavilion called “Maison de Plaisir”, House of Pleasure. But it is questionable whether the two-day closed meeting of the traffic light government will really be enjoyable. The political situation is likely to make the government partners frown – at least when the cameras are off.
Because the start after the parliamentary summer break two weeks ago was a complete failure. Actually, the coalition wanted to make the month-long dispute over the heating law forget – and score points with work on the matter.
But then came the initial veto by family minister Lisa Paus against plans by finance minister and FDP leader Christian Lindner to facilitate corporate investments. The Greens politician wanted to get more out of her favorite project of basic child security, but made sure that the coalition initially presented a picture of disunity at the end of the summer.
Habeck: “Not in the long run secret of success”
Economics Minister Robert Habeck, for example, reacted soberly to the renewed tugging. “We’re always messing it up ourselves,” the Greens politician complained recently in a ZDF interview. “And of course that’s no secret to long-term success.”
A finding that can also be derived from the survey values for the traffic light: Like that ARD Germany trend from the beginning of the month shows that 78 percent of those surveyed are less or not at all satisfied with the federal government.
Halfway through the election period, the SPD, Greens and FDP would not have a majority in the Bundestag if an election were to be held again. And by the cabinet members on the favorites list of the ARD Germany trends only Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is judged positively. With regard to all other cabinet members surveyed, dissatisfaction prevails. This includes Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who at 31 percent has the lowest approval rating since taking office.
Around a dozen bills in the cabinet
It’s not as if the traffic light stopped working because of the argument. Coalition representatives repeatedly point out that the feared gas shortage did not materialize in winter thanks to government intervention, that the traffic light is making significantly more progress in the expansion of green electricity than previous governments and that the coalition launched the largest modernization program in the history of the Bundeswehr last year.
The traffic light government has not been idle recently either: since the end of the summer break, around a dozen draft laws have gone through the cabinet – including a reform of nationality law, plans to increase the expansion of solar systems and a draft for municipal heat planning, which is intended to supplement the planned heating law . In addition, the dispute settlement in terms of basic child security makes it more likely that the cabinet meeting this Tuesday and Wednesday will at least deliver the images of unity desired by the traffic lights.
Even when Paus and Lindner presented the agreement on the socio-political project worth billions, both were clearly trying to make a relaxed impression. When asked whether this paved the way for the Finance Minister’s Growth Opportunities Act, he replied wittily that only Paus could answer that. Whereupon the Green Party politician stated after a short laugh that, on the contrary, only Lindner could provide the answer. Which he then did: The draft law would be decided in Meseberg, according to the FDP leader.
artificial intelligence and De-bureaucratization
In addition, the cabinet members deal with the possibilities of artificial intelligence during the retreat. Representatives from science and business are invited to attend.
Justice Minister Marco Buschmann wants to present key points for another bureaucracy relief law. The federal government wants to “significantly reduce” the administrative burden for companies and will make decisions on this at the cabinet meeting, Buschmann promised a few days ago.
Shortly before the meeting in the guest house of the federal government, the starting point for the traffic light has improved somewhat. But in view of a sluggish economy, the expectations of business associations are high. As a precaution, Lindner therefore made it clear on Monday that the planned Growth Opportunities Act with the investment incentives it contains is just one building block. From his point of view, broad tax cuts for companies would actually be necessary, but such a step does not have a majority in the government camp. “So let’s do what we can.”
With this, Lindner recalls an aspect that occasionally gets lost in the debate about the traffic light performance: It is an alliance of three, and one that spans all camps. If you look in newspaper archives for articles from the time of the grand coalition, you will also find indications of long-lasting conflicts there. The traffic light coalition is not the first time that a government is banking on the proverbial “spirit of Meseberg,” which aims to promote harmony and unity. And it shouldn’t be the last to associate a meeting in the baroque palace with this hope.