FDP on naturalization: Between coalition discipline and profile building

Interior Minister Faeser (SPD) wants a new naturalization law. As expected, criticism of the plans comes from the Union. It may be more surprising that the FDP, its own coalition partner, is also taking a stand against it.

It was done a good year ago: the traffic light coalition agreement was in place. “Dare to make more progress” is his promising title. SPD, Greens, the FDP – Germany’s first three-party alliance at federal level – had made plans and wanted to do many things differently.

Christian Lindner was also noticeably relieved and visibly proud at the time. Now is the time to act, according to the FDP leader at the time. The bursting of Jamaica soundings years earlier seemed forgotten, the FDP was now the governing party.

Coalition agreement as the basis for the reform

But the FDP is once again opposed to one of the core concerns of the self-proclaimed progressive coalition. In order to make Germany a real country of immigration, new naturalization rules are to be drawn up, and the cabinet plans to discuss Interior Minister Faeser’s plans this week.

The basis for the reform is in the coalition agreement, on page 94. It states: “Naturalization should generally be possible after five years, with special integration achievements after three years.” In addition, dual citizenship is to be made easier in the future.

FDP links the issues of immigration with deportation

A reform of German immigration policy. Negotiated in the coalition talks and ultimately signed by the SPD, the Greens and the FDP. But the Liberals are now stepping on the brakes. Reason: There is no progress in the repatriation of people who live illegally in Germany. The traffic light should not take the second step before the first.

The FDP links the issues of immigration with deportation, making one a condition for the other. SPD leader Saskia Esken was astonished: “Bringing these things together is irrelevant. It’s about those who have been living with us for years, some of whom have been living with us for generations.”

criticism from coalition partners

It is correct that the coalition parties SPD, Greens and FDP have agreed that people who live illegally in Germany should be deported more quickly. However, the sentences on deportation only appear much later, so they are not part of the chapter on immigration.

A link between the topics of immigration and deportation, as the FDP is currently doing, cannot be derived from this. Filiz Polat from the Greens, among others, was irritated by the actions of the Liberals: “The arguments don’t fit together. The FDP negotiated this package with us very carefully in the coalition agreement.” Polat recalls that it was even the liberal negotiators who brought the years five and three into play.

FDP repeats opposition party in coalition

The FDP wants to be perceived as a center party. In the debate about citizen income, she tried it now and again with opposition in the coalition.

First, FDP party leader Christian Lindner criticized the plans of his cabinet colleague Hubertus Heil from the SPD. The liberals then showed themselves remarkably quickly open to compromises with the opposition. It seemed as if the FDP was trying not to leave the middle-class conservative to the CDU and CSU alone.

FDP downplays “frictions”.

If you ask the FDP about their special role, the impression is downplayed. After all, friction in a three-way alliance is normal and nothing special. That is everyday business, said Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann from the FDP to the ARD Capital Studio. She recommends all ministers to stick to the coalition agreement, then there will be “peace, joy, pancakes” again.

These are words that shouldn’t diminish the irritation of the SPD and the Greens. After all, they see the coalition agreement as the basis for the reform they are planning. On page 94 it is quite clear how the issue of immigration in Germany is to be regulated in the future.