Fracking, nuclear power, debt brake
Coalition partners in a clinch: Where there is a crunch between the Greens and the FDP
Not always of the same opinion: Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner (left, FDP) and Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen)
© Michael Kappeler/ / Picture Alliance
It crunches in the traffic light coalition, especially the Greens and FDP are on more and more topics crossed. Both sides knew that things would not be easy for them.
Perhaps a look into the paint box will help to make the tricky matter a little more tangible. If you mix green and yellow together, you get: A lighter shade of green. The more yellow ends up in the green, the richer, brighter – and ultimately yellower – the mixture becomes. Only: until the green gradually reveals the yellow, it takes a lot of yellow blobs of paint.
Now the right mix is also important in government coalitions. And the FDP is obviously not satisfied with the current mix. The Liberals are struggling for perception and visibility alongside the Green coalition partner, who is showing significantly more charisma in SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s traffic light alliance. As a result, the FDP is trying to set its own (color) accents.
Where Greens and FDP are in a clinch
Both sides knew that things would not be easy for them. After the federal elections, the parties assumed the role of chancellor-makers, without which it was practically impossible to form a government. And so the first thing to do was to clarify whether green and yellow go together at all.
The then Green co-boss Robert Habeck pleaded for this before coalition negotiations, “that the parties who are furthest apart at first, let’s see if they can do it together”. And that’s the FDP and the Greens, you’re “really contrary to social, tax and financial policy issues.” The FDP apparently saw things in a similar way, which initially wanted to go into “preliminary discussions” with the Greens.
Now the Greens and FDP have been governing in the traffic light alliance for 194 days – and are crossing over more and more topics:
Fracking Ban. In view of the energy crisis, the FDP wants to put the ban on natural gas production in Germany through so-called fracking to the test. Scientific studies have shown that fracking “does not cause any relevant environmental damage under modern safety standards,” said Parliamentary Secretary Torsten Herbst “World on Sunday”, and called for a serious examination of “whether greater shale gas production is feasible in Germany from an economic and technical point of view.” The Greens counter: “Fracking will by no means solve our current situation,” said deputy parliamentary group leader Julia Verlinden to the newspapers of the Funke media group. Also Minister of Economics Habeck recently rejected fracking in Germany and refers to possible negative consequences for the environment as well as legal hurdles.
nuclear power. Federal Economics Minister Habeck has once again emphasized his no to nuclear power and has ruled out extending the life of nuclear power plants. In energy policy, “we continue to exclude nuclear power”, it says not least in the traffic light coalition agreement. Nonetheless, FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai asked in one go in view of the “energy policy challenges”. Interview with the “world”: “Can we categorically rule out extending the lifetime of nuclear power plants?” Germany should “not shut itself off from a debate” demanded FDP leader Lindner. The Greens do it anyway: They don’t want to know anything about an exit from the exit. “An extension of the service life can only be achieved, if at all, with cutbacks in nuclear power plant safety. This is out of the question for the Federal Ministry for the Environment, which is responsible for nuclear safety,” she quoted “Picture”-Zeitung a spokesman for Environment Minister Lemke.
debt brake. Lindner wants to comply with them from 2023, Greens (and SPD) not necessarily. Because of the increased energy and food prices, Greens co-boss Ricarda Lang wants to relieve the citizens, compliance with the debt brake is secondary. “The decisive question is not whether we will suspend or comply with the debt brake at all costs, but whether we will meet the challenges of our time,” she said “Picture on Sunday”. Federal Finance Minister and FDP leader Christian Lindner said: “To combat inflation, the state must end politics on credit”. From now on, “generating wealth must again be more important than distributing it,” said Lindner in the “World on Sunday”.
Out for the combustion engine. That EU–Parliament wants the end of the internal combustion engine from 2035, the EU member states still have to approve the proposal – or more precisely their governments. The project “does not meet our approval”, Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) promptly let it be known. Lindner was also critical. The statements made by the Liberals contrast with what Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) said in Brussels in March: on behalf of the federal government, she expressly backed last year’s tightened climate targets of the EU Commission – which also means ending the use of combustion engines in cars and vans by 2035.
corona policy. What’s next after September 23? The Infection Protection Act is expiring, in which, among other things, questions about the obligation to wear a mask can be regulated. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) wants to prepare a possible mask requirement from autumn, however to the displeasure of Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP)the last even doubted the benefit. Lindner warns “blanket restrictions on freedom”, wants to wait for the results of an expert commission. Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt (Greens) warned that the Liberals should prepare for the Corona virus “don’t brake again” should. “I recommend the Greens to return to fact-based politics instead of continuing to pursue fear-based politics,” FDP Vice Wolfgang Kubicki shot back.
excess profit tax. Despite tax cuts, fuel prices have only fallen temporarily in many places, and mineral oil companies have been criticized. Should their “excess profits” be skimmed off via an additional levy on the extra profits from the Ukraine war? Federal Minister of Economics Habeck considers this worth considering. “I think it’s right not to accept every win,” he said to RTL. “Profiting from the war isn’t really the way to go.” Lindner says: There won’t be with me. “There is a great danger of achieving the opposite of what the advocates and advocates want”, like Lindner. His concern is that an “arbitrary tax increase” for a single industry will ultimately make things more expensive in Germany.
Some benefit, others want to distinguish themselves
While the Greens have been able to benefit from the traffic light alliance so far, the FDP is now trying to make a name for itself. Noisy current RTL/n-tv trend barometer the Greens have gained eight percentage points in popular support since the federal election (from 14.8 to 23 percent), while the Liberals have lost support (from 11.5 to eight percent). Alone: at one Insa poll for “Bild am Sonntag” 41 percent of Germans stated that, in their opinion, the Greens set the tone at traffic lights. 28 percent see the SPD as the clock, only eleven percent the FDP.
The FDP should not allow this trend to continue – and place a few more demonstrative splashes of color.