Live blog about the traffic lights being turned off: ++ “Don’t doubt democracy” ++

Economics Minister Habeck has appealed to citizens not to question democracy despite the government crisis. FDP leader Lindner receives the support of his parliamentary group.

The social association VdK has welcomed the dismissal of Finance Minister Christian Lindner. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has “set an important course for a more socially just future,” explained VdK President Verena Bentele. The government must now work constructively with the opposition to address the most important problems. “The focus should not only be on defense and the economy, but social justice is also part of the triad that stabilizes Germany,” warned Bentele.

“The FDP has repeatedly delayed or torpedoed important reforms that were intended to strengthen social security and justice in our country,” said the VdK President. As examples, she cited basic child welfare, the pension package and the Disability Equality Act, all of which were blocked by Lindner. “Instead of making constructive policies, which were necessary in view of the multilateral crises and the associated social consequences, Christian Lindner and the FDP have consistently and continuously jeopardized social cohesion and played social groups off against each other.”

Friedrich Leist explains what Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s timetable looks like and why there should not be new elections until March.

According to a media report, SPD General Secretary Matthias Miersch assumes that Olaf Scholz will again run as the Social Democrats’ candidate for chancellor in possible new elections. “I firmly believe that,” said Miersch in a podcast from the news magazine “Politico.”

Miersch also brought up the possibility of FDP Transport Minister Volker Wissing remaining in the government. “From my point of view, he can do it.” He thinks that’s a good sign, “because it also shows that not everyone in the FDP was convinced of Christian Lindner’s course.” At the beginning of November, the Transport Minister spoke out in favor of the Liberals remaining in the coalition in a guest article for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck has appealed to citizens not to question democracy despite the government crisis. “Don’t doubt the strength of this country. We have overcome completely different challenges. We have solved completely different problems. Don’t doubt democracy,” said the Green politician in a statement distributed by the ministry on the X platform.

The traffic light government is now a thing of the past, emphasized Habeck. “It was an unpopular government,” he admitted. Their dispute has cost trust in the government and in politics as a whole. “Nevertheless, this evening feels wrong, wrong and unnecessary,” Habeck added. The breakup of the coalition could have been avoided. Until the new elections, he will carry out his office “with a full sense of duty,” assured the Minister of Economics.

The employers’ association Gesamtmetall is calling on Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to quickly raise a vote of confidence and clear the way for new elections. “Germany needs an economic turnaround. This requires a decision on the direction and majorities that can act,” said association president Stefan Wolf to the Bild newspaper. “Therefore, new elections should take place as quickly as possible.” Given the dramatic situation in the German economy, a relief effort is needed “with large, ambitious measures.” The FDP recognized this and made very good suggestions.

After the breakup of the traffic light coalition, SPD co-chair Saskia Esken expects Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to run again as candidate for chancellor in the event of new elections next spring. “It will be Olaf Scholz, we are going into the election campaign together and we are convinced that we will win the election,” she said on “RTL Direkt” on Wednesday evening.

The Chancellor has now taken the right measures and negotiated for a long time, Esken continued. The FDP was the problem. “The fact that we didn’t come to a solution was not the fault of the Chancellor,” said the SPD politician.

Esken also stated that she was relying on the support of the CDU/CSU parties in negotiations over the coming federal budget. “Of course we hope that as a minority government we will get the support of the opposition – the democratic opposition parties – here and there where it is necessary, and the largest opposition party, the CDU/CSU, is of course the first addressee,” said Esken.

After the breakup of the traffic light coalition, the chairwoman of the German Federation of Trade Unions (DGB), Yasmin Fahimi, called for cross-party cooperation for important decisions. “Now all responsible Democrats must get together and make the most urgent decisions for our economy and social security,” said Fahimi. “For the good of our country, everyone must prove that they can find compromises beyond their party interests.”

“There must now be no retreat into election campaign mode,” said Fahimi, with a view to possible new elections at the beginning of next year. She supported Scholz’s approach to dismissing Finance Minister Christian Lindner from office in the dispute over budget and economic policy. “Chancellor Scholz has drawn the necessary conclusions,” she explained. Lindner had “made himself a national risk to stable and good development: by attacking fair wages, secure pensions and sufficient investments in the future.”

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s departure to Budapest, which was actually planned for Thursday morning, has been significantly delayed due to the break in the traffic light government. The reason is the dismissal of the FDP ministers by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the appointment of the interim ministers in the early afternoon. As a result, Scholz will not be able to take part in the meeting of the European Political Community, but will only come to the informal EU summit in the Hungarian capital.

CDU member of the Bundestag Roderich Kiesewetter has also called for Chancellor Scholz to face the vote of confidence earlier. “January is clearly too late,” he said in the daily topics. “The trust has been lost today, so the question of trust cannot be asked in January.”

FDP leader Christian Lindner has received the support of his parliamentary group. After a special meeting of MPs, chairman Christian Dürr said that Lindner’s decision not to respond to Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s demand to suspend the debt brake was unanimously supported. There was standing applause. Lindner demanded the right thing for economic prosperity.

“Christian Lindner was fired for both, both for his proposals for the German economy and for rejecting the suspension of the debt brake. I believe that rarely has a step like Christian Lindner’s been evidence of loyalty to principles and courage,” said Dürr Looking at the Chancellor’s decision to dismiss Lindner as Finance Minister. Regarding an expected new election, Dürr said that Lindner was party chairman. He firmly believes that Lindner will also be the Free Democrats’ next top candidate.

Green Party co-parliamentary leader Britta Haßelmann accuses Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) of destructively causing the coalition to break. “The egotism and destructiveness with which work was carried out here, especially on the part of Christian Lindner and parts of the FDP, has put such a strain on this coalition that we are now at this point, and that is very, very regrettable.”

The traffic light did not get the budget together for 2025, said Haßelmann after a special meeting of the Green parliamentary group. “A finance minister didn’t do his job. And that honestly makes me angry.”

FDP politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann described it as “strange” that Chancellor Scholz fired Finance Minister Lindern at a time when the budget was supposed to be drawn up. “And what’s even stranger is that the Chancellor then appeared in front of the press and had already prepared a speech on the teleprompter.”

The FDP ministers are withdrawing completely from the federal government. CSU boss Söder calls on Chancellor Scholz to immediately ask the Bundestag for a vote of confidence.