Dispute between ex-partners: traffic lights have been prepared for weeks? Outrage over reports

SPD politicians have reacted angrily to media reports that the FDP has been preparing for an end to the traffic light coalition since the end of September. “Responsibility as a foreign word, evil as a method: I am deeply shocked by this behavior of the FDP,” wrote Labor Minister Hubertus Heil on Platform Disappointment”. Head of the Chancellery Wolfgang Schmidt acknowledged the “remarkable” reports with a brief “aha”.

According to research by “Zeit”, the FDP is said to have meticulously prepared for an end to the traffic light coalition. Various scenarios were played out in several meetings. The then FDP ministers, among others, took part. “Zeit” relies on descriptions from several people who are familiar with the events. The editorial team also viewed documents that were created in these weeks.

Politicians do not want to comment in “Zeit”.

Those involved did not want to comment on the research when asked by “Zeit”. The former Justice Minister Marco Buschmann stated that he neither wanted to confirm nor deny the quoted statements. Former Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger, FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr and Transport Minister Volker Wissing, who has since left the FDP, said that they generally did not report on internal meetings.

The “Zeit” also quoted a party spokesman as saying that in recent months “an assessment of government participation has taken place again and again and in various rounds”. “Of course, scenarios were always considered and mood images were obtained.”

Ex-partners accuse each other of breaking the coalition

In recent days, the SPD and FDP have accused each other of having provoked the end of the traffic light coalition. FDP leader Christian Lindner accused Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) of “staging his dismissal” after his expulsion from the coalition.

Statements by the new Federal Finance Minister Jörg Kukies (SPD) on the process of breaking up the traffic light coalition also caused a stir this week. Kukies was asked on Tuesday at the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” economic summit when he knew he would have a new job. The Chancellor’s previous economic advisor replied: “very close to it.” When asked, he specified: “One day before Wednesday, the coalition committee, we talked abstractly for the first time about the fact that this could be a possibility.”

From the ranks of the Union and FDP, the Chancellor was then accused of deliberately causing the expulsion of the previous Finance Minister Lindner and thus the break of the traffic light coalition at the coalition committee a week ago.