A sigh of relief from the FDP leadership: in the member survey, a majority voted to remain in the coalition with the SPD and the Greens. However, the holes were extremely thin.
52.24 percent of voters were in favor of continuing government work, 47.76 percent wanted an end to the coalition, as the German Press Agency heard from party circles on Monday. However, only 26,058 of the approximately 72,100 FDP members took part in the survey – just over one in three.
The FDP leadership can breathe a sigh of relief
The member vote has no practical consequences. Because the statutes state: “The party organs are not bound by the results of the membership survey in their decision-making.” However, the result is seen as an important picture of the vote. If there had been a majority in favor of abandoning the traffic lights, it would have fueled debate within the party and put pressure on the party leadership.
The FDP is threatened with a bitter defeat in the federal elections:
This would most likely have meant new turbulence for the traffic light coalition. The relatively low interest of the FDP base in the question asked – participation in the survey of approximately 36 percent – and the result now also strengthen party chairman Christian Lindner.
The FDP federal board launched the survey on December 18 after 598 members requested it. Members could participate online for two weeks. The question was: “Should the FDP end the coalition with the SPD and the Greens as part of the federal government?” The answer could be “yes” or “no”.
FDP flew out of several state parliaments
The initiative for the membership vote followed an open letter from 26 state and local politicians of the FDP. After the poor election results in Hesse and Bavaria, they demanded that the FDP reconsider its coalition partners. In Bavaria, the FDP missed access to the state parliament last October. In Hesse, the country barely crossed the five percent mark.
The FDP had previously suffered failures in five other state elections since joining the traffic light coalition.
The 2024 election year also promises to be difficult for the FDP. The polls for the three state elections in September in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg estimate the liberals at three to five percent. However, they are already several weeks old. The FDP does not yet have a seat in the state parliament in Saxony and Brandenburg.
Lindner: FDP helps provide direction
FDP leader Lindner was extremely calm about the members’ vote. It doesn’t stress him out, he said. “Because it is an opportunity to make it clear that the FDP is helping shape the direction of the government.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
