Will the traffic light government pull itself together again? SPD leader Esken has little hope. She blames the FDP primarily for the conflicts. She believes that personnel consequences in the SPD after the state elections are unnecessary.
The SPD chairwoman Saskia Esken hardly expects that cooperation within the traffic light coalition will improve again. In the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, she accused the FPD of provoking because it was desperately trying to make a name for itself. “I have little hope that anything will change. Appeals don’t seem to be working,” she added.
Esken particularly criticized FDP leader Christian Lindner, who had spoken of an “autumn of decisions” and called for certain projects to be implemented by the end of the year. “This juggling with data and ultimatums is an expression of a gambling nature that has nothing to do with responsible politics,” said the SPD leader.
“Nevertheless, I am relying on the coalition partners’ sense of responsibility to implement the projects we have set out to implement in this legislative period and to ensure that our country achieves a new beginning,” added Esken.
Election campaign trio Scholz, Esken, Klingbeil
Esken believes personnel changes within the SPD are unnecessary, even after the announced withdrawal of the Green Party leadership. When asked whether the trio of Chancellor Olaf Scholz as well as Esken and Lars Klingbeil would remain as party leaders in the election campaign year, the SPD leader said: “You can assume that.” The leaders of the government, party and parliamentary group have worked together very closely and in a spirit of trust for years. “We have achieved that the SPD is united and not too preoccupied with itself.”
Esken clearly spoke out in favor of Scholz as the Social Democrats’ candidate for chancellor. “Olaf Scholz is our chancellor, and he is our candidate for chancellor with whom we are going into the election. There is great unity in the party.” She rejected criticism of the Chancellor’s communication and leadership style: “Olaf Scholz leads in a style that is appropriate for our times.”