"The system will hang up again pretty quickly"

"Now there's speed in Germany," promised Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in a government survey last Wednesday. This was preceded by almost 30 hours in which the traffic light leaders had laboriously reached an agreement on questions of climate and infrastructure policy in a coalition committee lasting several days. But how long will the coalition peace last? This question was the subject of the ZDF talk show "Maybrit Illner" on Thursday evening. The party leaders Lars Klingbeil (SPD), Omid Nouripour (Greens) and Christian Lindner (FDP) as well as ZDF journalists Theo Koll and Eva Quadbeck from the editorial network Germany ( RND).

"It was a government crisis," stated RND editor-in-chief Quadbeck - but "not an existential one". At no time did she assume that the coalition could “burst” because of the dispute over energy policy. Now the federal government has pressed the "reset button" and once again - as it did when the coalition agreement was presented in 2021 - put itself in the limelight.

However, since the Greens and FDP "ran against each other", there is a "secret winner" of the dispute: Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). For him it is practical "that Habeck and Lindner react to each other like dogs and cats". Quadbeck therefore does not believe in a lasting peace. On the contrary: The journalist was convinced that the system would "hang up again very quickly".

FDP party leader Christian Lindner, on the other hand, dismissed the journalist's statements as "creative long-distance diagnosis" and tried to radiate harmonious unity. "All three coalition partners can be satisfied with the result," said Lindner. When it came to climate protection, he had to wrestle with the Greens, but they weren't the losers. "The Greens have left no feathers. That's a narrative that you have to reject," said Lindner - only to use this narrative himself shortly afterwards. The result of the talks is a win for the country, "even if individual parties had to give up feathers when it came to their maximum demands".

"Further discussions will follow," affirmed Green Party leader Omid Nouripour. But he also tried to highlight successes. "We cleared blockages and in the end provided solutions," said Nouripour, praising the agreed investments in Deutsche Bahn. The third party chairman, Lars Klingbeil, also joined the demonstratively displayed unity. "Everyone moved, everyone was constructive," the social democrat praised the willingness to compromise. It was "complete nonsense" that one side moved more than the other. Together they found solutions that would "move the country forward".

Klingbeil explained that the traffic light talks, which lasted several days, must now send the signal that the citizens should be taken along. Public acceptance of climate protection measures is also a priority for ZDF journalist Theo Koll. According to Koll, there are "clear majorities" in favor of the car among the population and "great concern" about the heating changeover. It is foreseeable that the FDP will benefit in the polls, the journalist predicted. A “political-strategic element” can therefore be assumed when using the car.

FDP party leader Lindner rejected this thesis: "No one has ever accused me of being only interested in the car for tactical reasons." Instead, the Federal Finance Minister went into how the government's projects are being financed in view of the "challenging budget situation". should. Lindner announced "consistent decisions".

To do this, it is necessary to set "realistic requirements" for climate protection, to enable financial support for the heat pump and to keep an eye on the "load limits" of people. New debts or higher taxes are out of the question for the liberals.

"The session ended and the dispute continues," said Gitta Connemann (CDU), Chairwoman of the SME and Economic Union, to the traffic light coalition committee. Above all, she criticizes the lack of detailed regulations. For the citizens, the results are “a fatal sign”.

Source: WELT/ Carsten Hädler

Greens leader Nouripour recognized the debt brake anchored in the Basic Law, but also referred to the "highly ambitious agenda" that had to be financed. However, to discuss this in more detail, a talk show is the "wrongest place in the world".

At the same time, Nouripour rejected Illner's objection as to whether it wasn't "dangerous" to only discuss relevant questions after the coalition committee: All three parties were well advised to "take a less shrill tone in public". "It's too shrill out there in public, it shouldn't be like that," criticized Nouripour.

At the same time, the head of the Greens made it clear at the end of the show: “We are talking about a lot of money and fundamental decisions. That's why we take the time to argue. If you don't have this argument, you won't come to correctable, good, democratic decisions."

"Kick-off Politics" is WELT's daily news podcast. The most important topic analyzed by WELT editors and the dates of the day. Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, among others, or directly via RSS feed.