Now is the time of duty, not freestyle

Former Chancellor Angela Merkel used the slogan in her last federal election campaign that she stands for a “Germany in which we live well and happily”. Your successor in office, Olaf Scholz, is now formulating his current agenda much more modestly. He has every reason to.

At the cabinet retreat in Meseberg, he and his ministers wanted to talk about how "a society that has so much ahead of it can and can remain confident," Scholz announced on Sunday afternoon. It is reassuring that a federal government is thinking about such fundamental things. The agenda in Meseberg is worrying.

The agenda of the two-day meeting includes topics such as the "Energy Transition 2030", "Data Policy and Artificial Intelligence" or "Economic Perspectives in Germany at a Turning Point". It is right and important to deal with all of this, because Germany and the whole of Europe are facing enormous challenges in view of the ongoing digitization and the consequences of climate change. It is always appropriate to "negotiate all these topics with a little more calm". However, not when there is a blaze of fire, as is the case at the moment.

Acute crisis management is now required. In view of the state of the coalition, this means above all that the traffic light should settle its numerous points of contention and find a line. While energy prices are still high and could rise further at any time, while according to the latest survey every third party has to work on their savings in view of inflation and an escalation in the Ukraine war cannot be ruled out, the traffic light parties are mired in constant arguments. About the basic security for children, the expansion of the motorway, the ban on cars with combustion engines or oil and gas heating.

Reaching agreement quickly on all these points and establishing the ability to act is currently the duty. After that there may be time for the freestyle with "a little more rest".