Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) reiterated his call for a new election on political Ash Wednesday. “The traffic lights have to go,” said Söder to applause. The traffic light is the “most unpopular federal government of all time” and had its chance. “Clear the way!” Söder addressed Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and his coalition partners. “As long as the traffic lights rule, the German economy will be ruined.”
Söder particularly distinguished himself from the Greens, with whom he ruled out a coalition – including in the federal government if the Union were to participate in the future. “The Greens are not capable of governing, neither in Bavaria nor in Berlin,” said the CSU leader. He doesn’t want “black-green, not yesterday, not today and not tomorrow either.” Söder also indirectly contradicted CDU chairman Friedrich Merz, who had recently flirted with a possible black-green coalition. “Green is out,” said Söder.
Söder presented Bavaria as an economic paradise – and as a counter-model to Berlin. “We are the traffic light and wokeness-free zone,” said Söder. Bavaria could live without Germany, but not the other way around. Without the Free State, Germany would be bankrupt, said Söder.
“We are the protective force for medium-sized businesses”
The Federal Government accused Söder of causing “creeping industrialization” and economic decline. He described the abolition of agricultural subsidies for farmers and the abolition of the VAT reduction for the catering industry as unfair.
The CSU is the “protective force for medium-sized businesses,” said Söder and added: “I give you, we make a promise to you: these burdens on medium-sized businesses must go.” The same applies to citizens’ money. This must be replaced “by good old social assistance,” said the Prime Minister. Söder described the feminist foreign policy advocated by the Greens as “nonsense.”
Söder had already intensified his criticism of the traffic light coalition in the run-up to political Ash Wednesday. He repeatedly attested to a loss of trust in the federal government and called for an early federal election. Most recently, he even suggested a specific date for this – June 9th, when the European elections will take place. Söder is said to still have his own ambitions to run for chancellor of the Union – and to possibly want to challenge CDU leader Merz internally. However, the CSU boss has not officially acknowledged this.
Verbal attack also on Hubert Aiwanger
Söder not only dealt against the traffic light coalition, but also against his own coalition partner, the Free Voters and their leader Hubert Aiwanger. With a view to his active participation in the farmers’ demonstrations of the past few weeks, Söder said: “Ministering comes before demonstrating.” He expects every minister to do what he is paid to do. The Minister of Economic Affairs has the task of taking care of the economy and energy.
Aiwanger heads the Bavarian Ministry of Economics and is Deputy Prime Minister. The relationship between Söder and his deputy has been tense for months. The reason for this is, on the one hand, the anti-Semitism scandal surrounding Aiwanger during the Bayern election campaign last summer. Söder had distanced himself from Aiwanger at the time, but ultimately stuck with his deputy despite strong criticism from the opposition. But the tensions between Söder and Aiwanger remained. Aiwanger repeatedly irritates people with his populist statements.
Söder recommends Höcke travel to Moscow
At the end of his speech, Söder described the AfD as a threat to democracy. However, this only applies to their officials, not to their voters, the majority of whom are just “dissatisfied” with politics. Söder called the AfD’s deportation fantasies “crass.” People with a migrant background who work in the catering industry, for example, make an important contribution to society and belong to Germany. If someone should leave, it should be the right-wing extremist AfD state chairman Björn Höcke: “to Moscow, to Putin,” said Söder. The AfD is largely right-wing extremist. Anyone who is conservative should not vote for AfD.
Rhetorical exaggeration and verbal attacks on political opponents are part of the concept of the political Ash Wednesday, which is mainly held in Bavaria; The CSU and Free Voters in particular traditionally target the government in Berlin on this occasion. In addition to Söder, representatives of other parties will also appear this morning, including Söder’s deputy Aiwanger from the Free Voters, Sahra Wagenknecht in her new role as chairwoman of the BSW and representatives of the traffic light parties such as SPD leader Lars Klingbeil. CDU leader Merz appears at an Ash Wednesday event this evening in Apolda, Thuringia.
Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) reiterated his call for a new election on political Ash Wednesday. “The traffic lights have to go,” said Söder to applause. The traffic light is the “most unpopular federal government of all time” and had its chance. “Clear the way!” Söder addressed Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and his coalition partners. “As long as the traffic lights rule, the German economy will be ruined.”
Söder particularly distinguished himself from the Greens, with whom he ruled out a coalition – including in the federal government if the Union were to participate in the future. “The Greens are not capable of governing, neither in Bavaria nor in Berlin,” said the CSU leader. He doesn’t want “black-green, not yesterday, not today and not tomorrow either.” Söder also indirectly contradicted CDU chairman Friedrich Merz, who had recently flirted with a possible black-green coalition. “Green is out,” said Söder.