ZDF summer interview
When it comes to Porsche, Lindner takes a dig
Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) took a position in the ZDF summer interview with Theo Koll (right).
© Thomas Kierok/ZDF/DPA
The ZDF summer interview with Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner was actually about his tax plans and the FDP. When it came to Porsche, ZDF interviewer Theo Koll shared a bit.
In the summer interview with Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP), ZDF Capital Editor-in-Chief Theo Koll cannot resist a small dig: “Mr. Lindner, before we come to the FDP, a word about your relationship with Porsche,” says Koll. “Not to the vintage car in the garage, but to the group” (in the video from 11:35). Koll’s allusion to Lindner’s wedding on Sylt, which many Germans felt was inappropriate – including a drive in an open Porsche Targa.
Lindner ignores the side swipe and responds to the accusation by Porsche boss Oliver Blume of possible influence in favor of e-fuels in the coalition agreement: “There was no contact with Porsche since I took office until the federal government made its decision on combustion engines.” During the coalition negotiations, he had a single phone call with the Porsche boss. “By the way, he also spoke to the Greens,” says Lindner. “For my part, I’ve also spoken to companies that have unilaterally committed themselves to electromobility.”
Lindner defends his tax plans
Lindner also defended his controversial tax plans in the summer interview. On the one hand there are the needy, for whom a lot of money is being mobilized, on the other hand the “middle of society”, said the FDP boss in the ZDF “summer interview”. The average annual income is 43,000 euros. “And the people who earn 30,000, 40,000, 50,000 euros are not the top earners.” However, they would be burdened in the coming year if the state did nothing now. “I am not proposing anything other than tax protection against inflation.”
In addition, he has again firmly rejected financing new relief measures through debt to alleviate high inflation. “The debt brake is a requirement of our constitution,” said the FDP chairman. He couldn’t just make exceptions at will. “The debt brake will be suspended in the event of an external shock that cannot be influenced or foreseen. But now we have been living in the reality of the Ukraine war with its economic effects for some time.”
Sources:“Summer interview with Christian Lindner” in the ZDF media libraryDPA.