Red-Green without a majority – FDP withdraws all ministers from the government

This means that for the first time since 2005 there will be a red-green government, although it does not have a majority in parliament. It should only exist for a transitional phase, the exact length of which is not yet known. On January 15, Scholz wants to ask the Bundestag for a vote of confidence to bring about new elections. This must take place no later than early April due to two deadlines of a total of 81 days that are enshrined in the Basic Law. The most likely date is currently March 30, as there is no public holiday in any state.

Bitter dispute over economic policy and budget
The break in the first coalition of the SPD, the Greens and the FDP at the federal level took place on Wednesday evening after a bitter dispute over the direction of the economy, especially the future course of economic and fiscal policy. During the negotiations, Scholz had, among other things, called for the debt brake to be suspended again. In view of the impasse, Lindner proposed on Wednesday evening during the coalition committee meeting with all party and parliamentary faction leaders to jointly organize new elections for the German Bundestag.

During a subsequent break in the meeting, Lindner’s proposal ended up in public, various media reported on it, after which Scholz asked the Federal President to dismiss his Minister of Finance. In response, the FDP withdrew all its ministers from the three-party alliance, which had been hopelessly at odds with each other for months – thus sealing the end of the traffic light.

Scholz was harsh on Lindner
The Chancellor’s speech, which had apparently been prepared for some time and announcing Lindner’s expulsion, was later praised by many party friends as the best performance of his term. Above all, it was a heavy settlement with the Minister of Finance. Scholz accused Lindner of drowning out compromises during their time in government with publicly staged arguments and blocking laws that were irrelevant. “He has used petty party political tactics too often. He has betrayed my trust too many times.” There is therefore no basis for further cooperation. “Serious government work is not possible this way.”

Lindner’s counterattack: ‘Scholz was not interested in an agreement’
The dismissed FDP leader returned the accusations to Scholz. The SPD politician deliberately caused the traffic light coalition to fall apart. “His carefully prepared statement tonight proves that Olaf Scholz was no longer working on an agreement that was achievable for everyone, but rather on a calculated break in this coalition,” Lindner said. Scholz is therefore leading Germany into a phase of uncertainty. Lindner accused the SPD and the Greens of not even accepting his suggestions for improving the economic situation as a basis for consultation. Scholz has long downplayed citizens’ economic concerns. “His counter-proposals are boring, unambitious and do not contribute to overcoming our country’s fundamental growth weakness so that we can maintain our prosperity, our social security and our environmental responsibility.”

Scholz ultimately demanded that he suspend the debt brake in the Basic Law, Lindner said. “I could not agree to that because it would have violated my oath of office. That is why the Chancellor ended his cooperation with me and the FDP at the coalition committee meeting tonight.”

Speculations about Linder’s successor
A successor to Lindner will take over on Thursday. The name has not yet been publicly announced. However, Bild.de reported this on Thursday morning from Minister of Economic Affairs and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens). A little later, Habeck himself told Deutschlandfunk that this was not true. Habeck made it clear that he was not aiming for the office of Minister of Finance.