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The deputy chairman of the Bundestag of the FDP, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, said in a new post-election edition of the DW podcast “Merkel’s last dance” that the mood in his party was very positive.
“We are very excited. It is likely that the future German governments will keep the Free Democrats in check here. And of course we are very pleased.”
Colorful variety of possibilities
A narrow victory by the center-left Social Democrats over the conservative CDU / CSU has given the two smaller parties unprecedented power.
The merger of the FDP (yellow) and the Greens – traditionally Germany’s kingmaker parties – is known as the “citrus coalition”.
The various coalitions in Germany are popularly referred to by the colors of the parties involved.
The red-colored SPD is aiming for a so-called “traffic light” coalition with the FDP and the Greens.
A possible conservative-green-FDP alliance would be called the “Jamaica” coalition because its colors correspond to the flag of the Caribbean country.
Lambsdorff told DW’s Richard Walker that he was “optimistic” about the chances of a three-party coalition with the Greens.
He emphasized that leaders such as FDP general secretary Volker Wissing and Greens co-chairman Robert Habeck had experience working in such coalitions at the state government level.
The union of the Greens and (yellow) Free Democrats is called the citrus coalition after the fruits
“Let’s not forget one thing, Mr. Habeck was a minister in a Jamaica coalition. He has experience of governing with us. And Mr. Wissing, our General Secretary, was Deputy Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate in southwest Germany, â€where he ruled in a traffic light coalition, also with the Greens. So there are two very experienced coalition builders.
Working to fill a void
Despite major differences between the Greens and the FDP, Lambsdorff said they had to work together. “The voters told us. We are the political parties charged by our constitution to form governments and shape the political agenda. This is what the Basic Law, our Basic Law, says, what the parties have to do. “
At the same time he emphasized that the FDP kept options open as to whether the SPD or the CSU / CDU should lead the next government.
“Both options are on the table, the traffic light and Jamaica.”
Lambdsorff laid out his hopes for a reforming FDP-led finance ministry, especially with regard to corporation tax. “Germany has not had an ambitious tax reform for about 20 years … We are not talking about a radical Reagan or Thatcher reform, but one Reform that would make our tax law more competitive. “
Private versus public investment
He also stressed that the FDP wants climate investments to be led by the private sector and not by public money – a potential tension factor with the Greens, who want to stimulate public investment.
“Public investments will not make Mercedes or BASF or Bayer or Linde climate neutral. They have to do that with private capital. We set the framework in which they move, but then they have to do it themselves, and that’s what we need. “Set incentives.”
Regarding the geopolitical tensions with China, Lambsdorff said that an FDP coalition would urge German companies to diversify from their engagement in China.
“What we are going to do is that we clearly advise the business world, which is so exposed to the Chinese market, in terms of both procurement and sales, to develop a new risk profile in order to open up new markets. Opening up new markets is crucial in this regard. ”
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