Germany before new elections
Fear of standstill after the break of the traffic light coalition
When will there be elections in Germany? And will the government be virtually unable to act until then? That depends entirely on what the opposition is willing to do.
What else is going on in Berlin after the traffic lights are gone? The remaining government coalition made up of the SPD and the Greens wants to agree on important projects with the opposition and implement them before the end of the year. But the Union is taking a stubborn stance: First, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) really has to pave the way for new elections with the vote of confidence. Is there now a risk of a political standstill lasting weeks?
Scholz and his minority government actually want to prevent that. Pensions, an economic package, increases in child benefit and tax relief – they definitely want to get that through the Bundestag. “If this constructive cooperation is secured, we can happily talk about the timing of the vote of confidence and the new elections,” said SPD General Secretary Matthias Miersch to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”.
Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) made a warning appeal via the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” and “Stuttgarter Nachrichten”: “In a democracy, responsibility is borne not only by representatives from government factions, but also by those from opposition factions.”
However, CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann makes it clear that it won’t be that easy. When asked by the “Frankfurter Allgemeine” whether the Union was prepared to support the minority coalition up to the point of trust in an economic turnaround and the defense of Ukraine, he replied: “No. The traffic light is broken. The trust is gone.” The head of the CSU MPs in the Bundestag, Alexander Dobrindt, fears there are tactical ulterior motives in Scholz’s schedule. “The suspicion immediately arises that he is trying to do something trick again,” he told the “Rheinische Post”.
Scholz wants to ask the vote of confidence on January 15th and is aiming for a new election in March. It’s too late for the Union: It’s aiming for the federal election on January 19th – the day before the new US President Donald Trump is sworn in.
What to do so that you don’t run out of money?
Transport Minister Volker Wissing, who has left the FDP, particularly wants to push ahead with the renovation of the railway. “The financial resources are there,” he told the ARD capital studio. He will do everything to ensure that there are no delays in the general renovation. He also indicated that there was still a need for action on the Germany ticket so that the price could be maintained.
According to a report in the Handelsblatt, the new Finance Minister Jörg Kukies is trying to avoid a budget freeze. The billions in funding released due to the delay at the Intel chip factory in Magdeburg could play a major role. The government would actually need a supplementary budget and more than 11 billion euros in additional loans to offset the additional costs of citizens’ money and the EEG surcharge. But the Union or FDP will hardly agree to this. Now Kukies could use part of the Intel subsidies to finance the promotion of renewable energy.
However, the problem with the supplementary budget is not completely solved. The government also wanted to use the additional loans allowed due to the weak economy to conserve reserves and then draw on them more in 2025. Kukies now has to find a solution without two important state secretaries from the Ministry of Finance: both budget expert Wolf Reuter and Lindner confidant and state secretary Steffen Saebisch have to go.
What will happen to Ukraine aid?
The chairman of the Bundestag Defense Committee, Markus Faber (FDP), warned in the “Augsburger Allgemeine” about delays in armaments projects and the modernization of the Bundeswehr. Projects that had already been initiated continued. However, with provisional budget management – i.e. if no budget for 2025 has been decided by the beginning of the year – no new projects could easily be started. No additional money can be made available for Ukraine without a majority in the Bundestag. Material that has already been ordered can still be delivered.
What else is the FDP ready for?
Not only the Union, but also the FDP, which has left the traffic lights, could help the remaining government with decisions. Parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr offered Scholz cooperation – but under conditions. “Wherever we can do good for the country and for the people, we are ready to talk and want to act,” said parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr to the “Augsburger Allgemeine”. “Our guiding principle has always been that we don’t work against something, but rather work for projects.”
The FDP also wants to “do good for the country” in its new role. However, the prerequisite is a clear decision for a quick new election, emphasized Dürr. “The Chancellor must therefore ask the vote of confidence as quickly as possible.”
What new election date can the returning officers actually manage?
However, Federal Returning Officer Ruth Brand appealed to Scholz not to rush his schedule. For organizational reasons, a new election in January or February would be risky, she wrote in a letter to the Chancellor.
The federal and state election officials want to meet on Monday for an initial discussion on election preparation. The office of the Federal Returning Officer confirmed a corresponding report from the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland”. As with regular elections, there is a need for exchange, for example about new procedures following a change in the federal electoral regulations.
dpa
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
