FDP at traffic light explorations: Successful, but not yet a winner

In the exploratory talks with the SPD and the Greens, the FDP apparently pushed through many of its demands. But the party needs the Ministry of Finance to be able to shape it.

You have the feeling that the FDP is the big winner of the election – this is how a Green politician commented on the outcome of the exploratory talks at her party’s state council. While reading the twelve pages, many observers from the media and political science asked themselves which topics the liberals actually have to cope with.

At first glance, it actually looks as if the FDP got a lot out of the three-party talks: no tax increases, no excessive debt, no speed limit on motorways. And the minimum wage of twelve euros does come. But then, as requested by the FDP, the existing commission made up of representatives of the collective bargaining parties and scientists should decide on the level of the minimum wage.

As a party that had to be brought from the other camp into the traffic light coalition, the FDP was apparently able to enforce some of its concerns. Even in the case of pensions, in which the SPD and the Greens want to guarantee the previous minimum pension level regardless of long-term financial viability and rigorously reject cuts, the Liberals can point out that they were able to bring in a partial funded approach. However, this should initially cost additional billions from the federal budget.

Sticking point: Ministry of Finance

And that brings us to the problem: the problem of the exploratory paper, which is above all a problem for the FDP. The financing of the planned billion-dollar investments in climate protection, digitization, education and other things remains very vague in the joint paper. In this respect, it depends a lot on who will head the finance ministry in the future: FDP leader Christian Lindner or Robert Habeck from the Greens. The FDP has to score here in order to be really successful.

Because on the other issues, the FDP – from their point of view – prevented worse. But it needs the Ministry of Finance in order to be able to shape things in a positive way. In order to enforce their request for a “government of the middle”.

For this, a minister is needed who gives impetus to tax relief for citizens and companies; which contributes to the fact that Europe does not go any further into the debt union and thus endangers itself. Only if Lindner stands firm here can the FDP really be considered the winner of the traffic light coalition. That has not yet been settled.