Some already harbored a cautious suspicion of “cucumber troops” against the traffic light when the coalition cracked again. In fact, the SPD, the Greens and the FDP, who actually still have most of their term in office ahead of them, have already engaged in some vigorous verbal battles with one another. It started with infection protection and tank discounts and finally ended with heating hammers and household hacks. But the political debate has not yet reached the “wild boar” level.
So far, nobody in the traffic light coalition has unpacked vocabulary comparable to “cucumber troop” or “wild boar”, as was once exchanged within the “desired coalition” of Union and FDP when a long-lasting bickering about the introduction of a capitation rate escalated. Neither was a coalition partner accused of a “smear campaign”, as was the case in the grand coalition when the CDU and SPD argued about the genesis of “Thuringia’s breach of a taboo”.
Of course, even within the self-proclaimed “progress coalition” made up of the SPD, the Greens and the FDP, criticism was not spared. What is striking, however, is how often the joint project is addressed to itself – or to the person who is responsible for it in his office: Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
“The Scholz-SPD is no longer the natural ally of the Greens,” Anton Hofreiter recently reported in the “Welt am Sonntag”. The Greens MP and Chair of the European Committee had already complained about Scholz’s reluctance to provide arms assistance to Ukraine, also in solidarity with Marie-Agnes Strack Zimmermann (FDP) and Michael Roth (SPD) – who then made an announcement to the “boys and girls”. made. Now Hofreiter sees the relationship with the Social Democrats as a whole.
The hour-long struggle over climate policy in the last coalition committee has obviously left its mark, especially among the Greens, who since then have believed themselves to be facing an ominous alliance of Chancellor, SPD and FDP. Even before the marathon meeting, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck had expressed his frustration at the traffic light work in this field and warned that the government was gambling away its trust. “The traffic light could also govern better than it does,” agreed Winfried Kretschmann, the Green Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg, who sent afterwards with a view to the night sessions in Berlin: “I think it’s okay to hold 19-hour sessions Signs of leadership weakness on the part of the chancellor.” It was then around 30 hours.
At least the FDP – which some time ago attributed its poor performance in the state elections to traffic light participation (e.g. here and here) – seems to have calmed down. She, too, had implored the chancellor before the coalition committee to show more leadership and to take more care of the conflicts in the coalition. He obviously did so, with the result that the Liberals are considered the winners on points – at the expense of the Greens.
In any case, Scholz is “an absolutely reliable chancellor,” Michael Theurer, member of the executive committee, was quoted as saying by the “Tagesspiegel” on Monday. “Despite some resistance, he kept his promise to us to cut taxes, as well as his promise to the Greens to phase out nuclear power.” Party deputy Wolfgang Kubicki, who is better known for dishing out traffic lights and the Greens in particular, told the newspaper that the traffic lights were a “successful coalition with no good alternative”.
Public perception, however, is different. In the current ARD “Germany trend”, satisfaction with the traffic light is at a record low, according to which a majority of 71 percent is less or not at all satisfied with the work of the federal government, whereas only 27 percent of those entitled to vote stated that they were satisfied or even very satisfied be. In a Forsa survey commissioned by the stern partners RTL and ntv, for the first time more people are in favor of CDU leader Friedrich Merz than of Olaf Scholz as Federal Chancellor. The Union can also score points on the Sunday question.
And the coalition gossip doesn’t stop, although it has been handed down since Rolf Mützenich at the latest: “Self-portrayal doesn’t help anyone,” as the SPD faction leader put on record, annoyed by the tussle between the Greens and the FDP. The SPD criticizes the FDP’s blockade on basic child security, the FDP the Greens’ blockade on the continued operation of nuclear power plants, and the Greens are disappointed after the perceived SPD-FDP blockade in terms of climate protection: “More is not possible in this coalition,” said a resigned Habeck after the coalition committee.
The mood remains tense, and the ominous nuances from the coalition about the coalition should not least give the chancellor pause if he wants to achieve the goal he has set himself. “Of course I’m going,” said Scholz on the occasion of the first anniversary of the traffic light. The governing coalition should be in such a good position by the end of the legislative period that it can be re-elected.
It is questionable whether the strategy of the “Scholz-SPD” as a reserved mediator and moderator will work (read more about this here). At least all sides have expressed the desire to present a more uniform picture again. “In a government, it also jerks. In the future, there may be less jerks again,” said Green co-leader Ricarda Lang. FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai called for the coalition to make it clear “that it is pulling together.” The SPD co-chairman Klingbeil appealed: “The public dispute of the last few days, the mutual reproach, that’s not what we need right now to move the country forward. That’s what this coalition will ultimately be measured against”.
The statements were made before the night session in the Chancellery.
