Lindner attacks CSU: “Söder says something different in the morning than in the evening”

FDP boss Linder has criticized the CSU chairman Söder as dubious. In the interview for the Report from the party conference he also collected a claim that the delegates had previously decided.

FDP chairman Christian Lindner sharply attacked CSU boss Markus Söder and accused him of dubious behavior. “He says something different in the morning than in the evening. He constantly changes his position,” said Lindner in an interview with the ARD Capital Studio for the Report from the party conference of the FDP. “First he wants to be the first to ban combustion cars. Then he says that should never happen. I find that simply dubious.”

The FDP leader not only distanced himself from Söder with a view to possible cooperation after the state elections in Bavaria in autumn. At the same time, Lindner indirectly sent out a signal in the current debate about the Union parties’ candidacy for chancellor for the 2025 federal election. When asked about his attitude towards the CDU chairman Friedrich Merz, Lindner explained demonstratively: “Friedrich Merz is a politician who is serious.”

Nevertheless, Lindner made it clear that there were a number of differences between him and the CDU leader on the matter. As examples he mentioned “that the CDU is now also thinking about tax increases, that in some cases they are flirting with demanding even more than 50 percent tax on income, that our middle class should be weakened with inheritance tax”.

With regard to his own party, Lindner denied that there were differences in the FDP as to whether the party should show a hard edge or primarily seek constructive solutions to problems. “This directional discussion simply doesn’t exist,” said the party leader.

Justification of the procedure for replacing the heating system

In the interview, Lindner also commented on the planned building energy law, for which he, as part of the federal government, approved the draft law, but at the same time formulated reservations in a protocol statement. He described such an approach as “constant state practice”. It has also happened in the past that a coalition partner in the government voted for a law and tried to change it in the parliamentary process. Since the Bundestag decides the laws anyway and not the government, procedures should not be stopped in order not to lose time.

With a view to the points of contention in the planned building energy law, Lindner expressly emphasized: “I feel encouraged by what the party congress decided. The draft law cannot be passed by the Bundestag in the way it is now being presented as a basis for consultation.”

Among other things, the delegates at the FDP party conference had called for financial incentives to be used in the forthcoming deliberations on the law instead of bans on replacing heating systems. In addition, the delegates’ resolution states: “Before the state gives citizens detailed specifications for their boiler rooms, it must create the conditions for the success of a climate-friendly technical infrastructure.”

Lindner contradicts CO2 party congress resolution

On another point, Lindner made it clear that a decision by the party congress would ignore reality and could not be implemented. According to the approved leading motion, the party wants to convert the pricing of the Fuel Emissions Trading Act (BEHG) into a real certificate trade in the economic sectors of transport, buildings and trade as soon as possible. This is already possible from January 1, 2024″. The party’s climate politicians had pushed through this date in the lead motion.

When asked, Lindner said that the coalition had agreed “that we will introduce such a certificate trade from 2027. So it’s no longer just an FDP position, it’s already an intention of the coalition.” Bringing this step forward by three years to 2024 is “politically and technically no longer possible,” said Lindner. “What we have agreed can be implemented from 2027.” Then the EU provided for the corresponding certificate trading.

You can see the interview with FDP leader Christian Lindner tonight in the report from the FDP party conference at 11:35 p.m. in the first