Yes, there really was a Santa Claus once, just like there is an Olaf Scholz today. Saint Nicholas, who made a name for himself especially in children’s circles as a bearer of nuts and sweets, is said to have died around the year 350 and was bishop of Myra. Which brings you to politics now, with the SPD candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who doesn’t want to become Chancellor at some point, but in the week of St. Nicholas Day, around December 6th. Provided that by then all three traffic light parties have accepted their coalition agreement. Scholz will not go out alone afterwards, he has coalition partners with him. For example, the FDP leader Christian Lindner. He could soon work as finance minister at Scholz’s side.
On Wednesday Lindner is at the SZ economic summit, dark suit, white shirt, tie. Because of fine rib and undershirt – at the end of a long day of negotiations, the liberal gives the statesman, politician and constitutional lawyer. For the time being, only this much about St. Nicholas Week: “These are difficult, tough conversations,” says Lindner, “but for me there is only one possible end: a successful coalition agreement in December.” So this year. Perhaps it is in the nature of things, but perhaps also because of the negotiations over the past few days. But it is the way it is: “Our political content would be closer to the Union,” says Lindner openly. But: There is no longer any alternative to working with the SPD and the Greens. Especially not since the Union is now busy finding its “center” again.
He already has a few ideas, for example on the question of a hotly debated ministry in Berlin. “Personally, I am not a supporter of the idea of a new digital ministry,” he says. So not a new building on which you simply write “Ministry for Digital”. If Olaf Scholz asked him, he would answer: “Yes, digital tasks are bundled, but no ministry of its own.”
The big issue for all people in these times, but especially for liberals: a compulsory vaccination in times of galloping incidences. He had recently found out for himself how quickly you can get a shit storm these days. In the ARD Tagesthemen he had raised doubts about the meaningfulness of exit and contact restrictions in the corona pandemic – after that he rowed back and regretted that his statements were “misleading”. Statements about Corona are definitely dangerous in times of high incidences. Lindner weighs his words, he doesn’t want to be misunderstood.
A few days later, Lindner became a realpolitician. He does not rule out a compulsory vaccination for certain occupational groups. There are now arguments in favor of compulsory vaccination, for example in the nursing profession. “We are open on this question,” he says. The obligation to vaccinate personnel in certain professions can also be “ethically justified”. One now has to “stay open and rethink one’s positions”.
Something has changed, in society, in the pandemic, but probably also with the FDP boss, who speaks of an “extremely dramatic worsening corona situation”. There is the realization: Booster vaccinations are needed, the vaccination protection does not last long. “We are not that good at vaccinating and boosting nationwide in Germany,” he says. And the lessons from all of this?
Where does freedom end?
Yes, the FDP is a party for fundamental rights. “We are more sensitive to fundamental rights than others,” he says. But that doesn’t mean that you have to be inactive. There is also such a thing as a “fundamental rights-sensitive pandemic fight”. That is the key word for the interviewers on stage: Where does freedom actually end, freedom? Is the community not more than the sum of its individual interests? Linder likes that, he is “extremely sympathetic” with the approach, and he says: “I share your ethical view.” The individual cannot be thought without the we. “We are not Robinson Crusoes, we always have to show consideration for others.” Especially not when more and more people are infected and the intensive care units in hospitals are full. There is only one thing the liberal does not want, and that would be the red line: no curfew, “life should go on”. At least he has to deliver to his voters: No more new, large, area-wide Lockdwon.
This does not mean that the traffic light parties can look forward to a harmonious future together. Not at all. Basic political convictions, images of society and also political plans are sometimes “clearly” apart from the Liberals, the SPD and the Greens. The future consists of compromises, and nobody here should believe that he can implement his election program one-to-one. Not even the FDP, not even boss Lindner. “A finance minister Lindner would not be finance minister of the FDP, but of the Federal Republic of Germany.”