End of the traffic light coalition: “D-Day” paper puts the FDP leadership in need of explanation

A detailed paper by the FDP on exiting the traffic light coalition puts the party leadership in a position to explain itself and is also met with criticism from liberals. FDP executive board member Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann told the German Press Agency that, given the situation in the government, it was right to look at exit scenarios. But: “The choice of words does not serve the purpose, writing with this tonality is incomprehensible.” She called for self-criticism and reappraisal, as she later emphasized again on X. The “D-Day” paper caused great outrage among the former coalition partners SPD and Greens.

The FDP published the eight-page document in the style of a Powerpoint presentation on Thursday after the news portal “Table.Briefings” had already reported on it. Previously, research by “Zeit” had sparked major discussions about the causes and reasons behind the coalition break. Scenarios for an end to the coalition have been played out in several meetings of the closest FDP leadership since the end of September.

Strategy paper describes process scenarios for “D-Day”

The FDP paper that has now been published was criticized not only because of its content, but also because of the choice of words. The term “D-Day”, which was historically coined by the Second World War, appears several times in the document – as a synonym for the possible point in time for leaving the joint government with the SPD and the Greens.

“D-Day” can be translated from English as “Day X” – or also mean “Day of Decision”. In German, the phrase is best known in connection with the Allied landings in Normandy to liberate Europe from National Socialism. “D-Day” marked the start of this on June 6, 1944. But it also stands for inhumane bloodshed, tens of thousands of dead and wounded.

In an interview with RTL/ntv on November 18th, FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai emphasized: “That’s not true. This term was not used.” After the FDP paper was published, he tried to limit the damage in the “Welt”: “The paper was created at the employee level. Nobody from the FDP leadership knew about the paper.” He doesn’t see any reason to resign.

There was also criticism and ridicule on social media for the widely shared image of a “process pyramid” from the document. It lists the four different “D-Day” phases from the first “impulse” – a press statement from party leader Christian Lindner – to the “beginning of the open battle”.

SPD demands apology

The paper also sparked outrage among former coalition partners. SPD General Secretary Matthias Miersch accused the FDP leadership of repeatedly deceiving the public and demanded an apology from Lindner. Miersch told the Editorial Network Germany (RND) that it was “cynical” that the FDP used the word “D-Day” in its paper to describe the time of the traffic light break and described the subsequent election campaign as an “open field battle”. “The FDP leadership has always denied the use of these terms.”

SPD leader Lars Klingbeil wrote on Platform X: “It’s good that everything is slowly coming out and citizens can get an idea.” Green parliamentary group leader Britta Haßelmann also expressed criticism on

FDP speaks of “preparation for scenarios”

The FDP spread the message that they had published the paper to create transparency – and wrote on X: “We have nothing to hide.” In a statement published by Djir-Sarai, it was said: “We have never made a secret of the fact that without an economic turnaround, an end to the traffic lights could be a possible outcome of what we call the autumn of decisions.” He spoke of a scandalization of the preparation for scenarios. “If the entire German media landscape was already speculating about the end of the traffic lights at this point, then it is only professional to prepare for this option.”

In the paper that has now been published, for example, it is said that the “ideal time” for an “announced exit” from the coalition could be between November 4th and 10th in the middle of the 45th calendar week. On November 6th, the alliance, which had been in crisis for a long time, actually broke – when Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) dismissed FDP leader Lindner as finance minister at a meeting of the coalition committee.

The new Bundestag election is scheduled for February 23rd next year. The FDP is currently at three to four percent in election polls, just below the entry hurdle of five percent – and could therefore miss out on re-entering parliament.