The Ukraine war dominates the FDP federal party conference in Berlin. The Liberals vacillate between support for Chancellor Scholz and criticism of his SPD. They are also taking on the Union.
In the debate about arms deliveries to Ukraine, the FDP has increased the pressure on its coalition partner SPD.
On Saturday in Berlin, your federal party conference passed a motion with a large majority that calls for heavy weapons to be used to support the country in its defensive struggle against Russia.
Party leader Christian Lindner backed the criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). However, his deputy, Wolfgang Kubicki, attacked the SPD and blamed it for the international criticism of Germany’s hesitant attitude.
support and criticism
The party leadership also defended the FDP’s corona easing course, for which it had to take a lot of criticism. The delegates also elected foreign policy expert Bijan Djir-Sarai as the new Secretary General. The 45-year-old received 89 percent of the votes. He succeeds Volker Wissing, who became digital and transport minister in the Scholz cabinet. Michael Link was elected the new Federal Treasurer.
With a view to the criticism of Scholz, Lindner said: “The Chancellor has the trust of the FDP and also their parliamentary group in the German Bundestag.” At the same time, the Federal Minister of Finance emphasized: “Ukraine needs military aid and heavy weapons.” Much more vehemently than he later demanded, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chairwoman of the Bundestag Defense Committee. “Don’t procrastinate, don’t hesitate, that’s the order of the day,” she said to the delegates, who gave her standing applause.
Kubicki said to the SPD: “The image that many representatives of the largest governing party are presenting in front of the world public is not one that can satisfy us as a coalition partner.” The Bundestag Vice President warned: “We simply have no time to deal with the ideological ballast of the past.”
Lindner was connected digitally from Washington, where he is in isolation due to a corona infection. According to his own statements, he only has mild symptoms. His speech, which lasted around 40 minutes, was repeatedly interrupted by dropouts in the transmission.
“Dangerous game”
Lindner accused the Union of playing a “dangerous game” because of its intention to submit an application for the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine to the Bundestag this week. An attempt is obviously being made here to get the governing coalition into difficulties and thus to destabilize the government as a whole. “To put it bluntly: In times of war in Europe, I have absolutely no sympathy for this form of partisan political maneuvering.”
The Minister of Finance warned of the economic consequences of the war. Germany must oppose “stagflation” – a weaker economy with increasing currency devaluation. Otherwise you risk a more profound crisis of stability.
Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann defended the FDP’s Corona course. The changes to the Infection Protection Act were correct. Today we know: “It was responsible to take these steps.” Djir-Sarai emphasized that the FDP “ensured that we returned to normality responsibly and with a sense of proportion”. Group leader Christian Dürr said that everyday life in April 2022 would “definitely look different” without the FDP.
Source: Stern
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