Berlin.
The crisis meeting of the coalition in the Chancellery, which began on Sunday evening, was still ongoing on Monday morning. What’s going on there?
Night shift for the traffic lights: That Coalition crisis meeting in the Chancellery, which began early Sunday evening, was still going on Monday morning: at eleven o’clock, the top group of SPD, Greens and FDP were still sitting together after more than 16 hours of deliberations. According to information from this editorial team, there were no agreements at this point in time.
What will happen to Habeck’s controversial heating plans, how quickly will it happen highway construction forward, what will become of the basic child security? On Monday morning, so it was said in the evening, the coalition partners want to present their resolutions. Despite the long night, many of the more than 70 controversial traffic light projects were apparently not even considered. Also read: At night in the Chancellery: What can happen at the traffic light meeting
Long night: Baerbock and Habeck came in denim jackets and hoodies
The expectations of the crisis meeting in the Chancellery were high. What was last at the wintry coalition weekend at Schloss Meseberg What had not yet succeeded should happen now: the Greens wanted to “cut through several knots” at the same time, and the chancellor at least “to make a small leap forward”. Around 9:30 p.m., after the first three hours in the Chancellery, the participants in the meeting said: “It will take a long time.”
Many had therefore decided from the outset to wear comfortable clothes, sweaters instead of ties, jeans instead of suits. The greens From the outset, they obviously did not expect that the top people would appear in front of the cameras in stately fashion to explain decisions: Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived at the Chancellery in sneakers and a denim jacket, Economics Minister Robert Habeck with a hooded sweater under his jacket.
Traffic light noise: Serious allegations in the run-up to the crisis meeting
In the run-up to the meeting, the FDP and the Greens had made serious accusations against each other. Tough on the matter, aggressive in tone: FDP Vice Wolfgang Kubicki had compared Habeck with Putin – but then apologized after widespread protest. Habeck, for his part, claimed that the Greens were the only progressive party in the coalition and sensed betrayal from his own rows of traffic lights because of his tricked-out heating plans.
FDP Finance Minister Christian Lindner slammed Habecks heating plans immediately and sent them “back to the assembly hall”. His party friend, budget politician Christoph Meyer, in turn compared the Greens and the SPD to alcoholics who had to be taught more spending discipline with cold turkey. From the SPD it said bitingly: Not every verbal derailment of the FDP requires a comment. In parts, the traffic light sounded like the black-yellow coalition, in which they ended up throwing “wild boar” and “cucumber troupe” at each other’s heads.
Meeting marathon: Why an agreement is so difficult
The background to the dispute is, among other things, fundamentally different views on how the existing budget funds should be used and which additional financial sources should be tapped. There are also party-political motives: FDP party leader Christian Lindner wants to be re-elected in four weeks at the FDP party conference. The choice itself is not in question, there is no serious competitor. But after five lost state elections, the FDP is on the gums, successes are urgently needed – even if it is always a bit louder and more visible than the others.
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