Germany’s three-party governing coalition has collapsed amid mutual recriminations after Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats (SPD) fired his fiscally conservative Finance Minister Christian Lindner, the leader of the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP).
The three parties have been at odds nearly since agreeing to form the so-called traffic light coalition, but it was a debate over how to plug a large hole in next year’s budget that proved its ultimate undoing.
Lindner alleges that Scholz was trying to force him to ignore constitutionally enshrined debt limit rules. But the Social Democrats and the Greens, led in the government by Economy Minister Robert Habeck and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, accuse the FDP of showing insufficient flexibility during what they say should have been declared as a fiscal emergency, freeing up extra funds.
Opposition parties have seized on the moment to demand Scholz call a vote of confidence — and to do it much sooner than the chancellor would like.
‘The country needs clarity,’ opposition lawmaker tells DW
Thomas Silberhorn, a lawmaker from the opposition Christian Social Union, spoke with DW about the opposition’s push to have snap elections as soon as January.
“The country now needs clarity,” said Silberhorn on calls from opposition politicians for Scholz to submit to a confidence vote sooner than January 15. “There is no reason to accept an interim period of uncertainty over several months.”
“We are not against minority governments in general,” Silberhorn clarified, “but there is no reason to tolerate a minorty government led by Chancellor Scholz when he could not even lead a majority government.”
Silberhorn denied that the calls had anything to do with the bloc his party is part of leading in opinion polls, insisting that the key for Germany was not to “prolong” this “period of uncertainty.”
Wissing’s junior ministers in Transport Ministry say they are quitting, with or without him
The three junior ministers, or Staatssekretäre in German, working under FDP Transport Minister Volker Wissing have distanced themselves from his decision to stay in his post and instead leave their party, the Free Democrats.
They said in a joint statement posted online that they had asked Wissing to submit their resignations to President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, even if he stays.
“Our country needs a new beginning and orderly political conditions quickly,” Daniela Kluckert, Oliver Luksic and Gero Hocker wrote. “After his solo decision, we no longer have any trust in Volker Wissing.”
The trio concluded by saying: “Germany needs a real economic turnaround that reduces burdens on business, reduces bureaucracy and cuts taxes.”