Lindner ARD summer interview: swipes against the Union and the Greens

in the ARD summer interview FDP leader Lindner left no doubt that the Liberals would like to govern again in the federal government. He advertised the Liberals as a guarantor of economic sanity and solid finances.

The FDP leader and top candidate of the Liberals Christian Linder has in ARD summer interview Restrictions for non-vaccinated people rejected, which Chancellery Minister Helge Braun had brought up in the event of sharply rising incidences.

“To put it concretely, if vaccinated, convalescent and negative-tested people do not pose a risk, then no more freedom restrictions can be provided for those who have recovered, vaccinated and negative-tested people. If I now leave the mask in the public transport outside” said Lindner. Lockdown must also be ruled out for non-vaccinated people who tested negative.

From the point of view of the head of the Free Democrats, the debate after months of the pandemic showed that “some colleagues are not sufficiently sensitive to fundamental rights and human freedoms.”

Lindner ready for ministerial office

The challenges for Germany in view of the Corona crisis and the floods are enormous, said Lindner. Respect and humility are great at the FDP, but at the same time the joy of design increases. The party leader campaigned for his FDP as a guarantor of economic reason and solid finances in a future government.

Lindner already has one position in mind for himself – the office of finance minister: “I would be willing to take on this with respect for the debt brake”. He stands by the clear announcement that taxes in the “highest tax country” should not be increased if Germany wanted jobs and private investments. Tax increases remained the red line for the FDP in any coalition negotiations: “You can rely on us. There are no higher burdens.”

Lindner left the door to the traffic light open

It was clear to hear that Lindner would prefer to become a minister in a government under Armin Laschet. They know each other very well from North Rhine-Westphalia, where they forged the coalition of CDU and FDP. In view of the surveys, Lindner believed that Laschet would become chancellor in the summer interview.

“As I expected, it has already been clarified who will move into the Chancellery. The question is no longer: Laschet, Annalena Baerbock or Olaf Scholz? The alternative – traffic lights with the Greens and the SPD – called Lindner “a fictional scenario”. Green leader Baerbock as Chancellor? “I lack the imagination of what content Baerbock could make to the FDP that would be more attractive than the offers that Ms. Merkel made four years ago.”

Nevertheless, Lindner left the door to the traffic light open. “In terms of coalition politics, we have not yet finally determined how we will go into this election. We will discuss that later.”

“We want a fixed CO2 limit”

The FDP would argue with the Greens over the right path to a joint coalition on climate protection. There is a need for action on the climate, said Lindner, only he describes it differently than the Greens: “Not additional bans and symbolic debates such as speed limit.”

Lindner rejected the accusation that the FDP was politically sticking to the combustion engine: “The FDP is not sticking to the combustion engine at all. The FDP just has no preference for any kind of drive, and that’s the difference. We say we want a fixed CO2 limit in our country. But how this budget, which is strictly limited, is distributed, that we would like to decide on the basis of the market economy. That should be in consumer sovereignty. ”

Germany lost itself in a labyrinth of bureaucratism and prohibitions. Rapid planning and approval procedures are therefore required for climate protection. He sees it as “the task of the FDP in a government to ensure that construction is carried out quickly in Germany, from residential buildings to energy infrastructure,” said Linder. In case of doubt, Germany also needs planning procedures that are completed by federal law so that the country can move forward quickly.

No cooperation with the AfD

When asked about the election of the FDP politician Thomas Kemmerich, who became short-term minister president in Thuringia in 2020 with votes from the AfD, Lindner narrowed himself down ARD summer interview clearly from the right-wing populists. “For us, the situation has been resolved. There is no cooperation whatsoever with the AfD. On the contrary. I can only call on all AfD voters not to vote for this party under any circumstances.”

Lindner pointed out that an AfD man had just been elected constitutional judge in the state parliament of Baden-Württemberg, “because the Greens acted as they did there.” This is a “sign that all democratic parties must accept the challenge of AfD. The FDP as well, but not specifically.”

“Black-Green or Jamaica?”

For the Greens, Lindner had the ARD summer interview a few swipes ready. The question over the next few weeks is who will take on important roles, for example for finances: “Should that be Robert Habeck from the Greens? He wants to ease the debt brake. He wants to increase taxes.”

Anyone who wants clear conditions in Germany, who wants the country to continue to be governed from the center, should “not leave black and green alone”. The situation is clear a good 60 days before the election. “The key question is: black and green or Jamaica?”

The FDP boss let him ARD summer interview there is no doubt that the Liberals would like to govern again in the federal government. He has not – yet – committed himself to the coalition issue. But it is clear that the FDP would prefer to be a government community with the Union. The Liberals see the greatest political closeness in the CDU. Obviously, people get along very well in their private lives. Lindner was asked whether he was still renting an apartment from CDU man Jens Spahn. Yes, confirms Lindner. And how often has he increased his rent? “Not at all.”