Media calls for withdrawal – Germany’s “traffic light” finally slows down

The German “traffic light government” has many names: from the “zigzag alliance” to the “oh-and-crack community”. The dream of a self-proclaimed progressive coalition never came true. The German coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP has once again had stormy days behind it.

Last weekend, a letter from Finance Minister Christian Lindner to Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius was leaked to the media.

Confusion in Ukraine at an absolutely inopportune time
Lindner’s demand: When supporting Ukraine, the agreed maximum limits must be strictly adhered to. Germany will spend the promised amounts for 2024 and 2025 as planned. For the time being, new projects for Ukraine are only possible in exceptional cases – after approval by the Ministry of Finance. The budget for next year is gone.

In short: the bailouts must be gradually phased out. The German budget dispute is hitting Kiev to the core. Now, when Vladimir Putin is on the defensive due to a Ukrainian invasion of Kursk Oblast, the “traffic light” is giving signals to withdraw. Communications are a disaster and Germany is seen as an unreliable partner.

Scholz keeps self-mockery quiet
Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who could provide clarification, reported back from his vacation on Monday. Not at a hastily convened press conference, but during an appearance at the traditional folk festival Stoppelmarkt in Lower Saxony. He said he had read that he was not considered a great speaker in the festival tent for some 2,000 guests.

“I will say that it was not easy to acquire this reputation,” he remarked self-mockingly. The North Germans and he personally would be boring, the Social Democrat continued: “But that is a blatant lie – we only think before we speak, and if necessary all day long about a statement about ourselves that has visibly recovered.” The head of “Traffic Light” avoided any confusion about aid to Ukraine. It will probably be an intensive thought process.

In a later tweet, he referred to a “50 billion loan” from the G7 countries for Kiev, partly financed by frozen Russian assets. “This will allow Ukraine to buy weapons on a large scale. They can build on that.” The catch: It is not clear whether this can be implemented legally and whether the G7 will actually release the 50 billion euros. In the first interview since his vacation, he praised “the balance” of his coalition and found “nothing unclear at all” about his Ukrainian construction.

The leader of the Green Party is more or less giving up
But Scholz may not have to decide on that anymore. Green Party leader Omid Nouripour said goodbye in his ARD summer interview on Sunday. “This coalition is a transitional coalition after the Merkel era.” His message: Everything is already too late anyway, even if there are still thirteen months to govern! There is “a strange pleasure” in arguing. Despite all the successes, there were also limits in terms of content. That will not change anymore.

In just a few sentences, Nouripour managed to declare the entire German federal government a placeholder:

Economics Minister Robert Habeck, who himself has ambitions to become Chancellor, recently commented on a compromise in the budget dispute and the still gaping billions of dollars in the budget with the words: “Wow, how can I put it? That’s just how it is, no.”

Political observers and journalists in Germany are completely baffled by this strange dismissal. The most pressing question is: Can this “interim government” be shortened?

Leading media calls for abolishing the “traffic light”
The Spiegel considers the words of Green Party leader Nouripour to be a scandalous revelation. “The traffic light as a gap filler, as a bridge between eras – the judgment on our own dwarfism could hardly have been harsher,” says the magazine. This is political impudence. Nowhere in the Basic Law is the right to give up and remain in inner resignation written down.

Before the “rapid loss of confidence” among people accelerates, the federal government must “find a way to bury this once promising experiment as quickly as possible.”

“Picture”: “Have the courage, take off your hat!”
The ignoble drama surrounding aid to Ukraine shows how poisoned the atmosphere between the three parties has become. “What can a coalition achieve whose individual parts can only get along with each other because the duration of the constitutionally established election period is fixed?”, also asks. “Bild” demands: “Have the courage, take off your hat!”

From the tabloids to the political magazines, everyone seems to agree: this “traffic light” has finally slowed itself down!