FDP rebel settles accounts with Lindner clique

Little peace despite the member survey: After the narrow result, the FDP continues to divide over the traffic lights. Co-initiator Nölke finds clear words.

Berlin – FDP politician Matthias Nölke taunts the party leadership after the outcome of the member survey about whether his party will remain in the traffic light government. The 43-year-old was one of the initiators of the survey within the party. In recent weeks, the leadership of the FDP has repeatedly made promises to face up to responsibility and to better sell the Liberals' political course.

But according to Nölke, it is not the party's marketing that is the problem, but rather the political course: “We don't sell ourselves badly, we make bad politics. Politics for which we were not elected, but for which we help gain a majority,” said Nölke in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Wednesday (January 3).

Mood barometer shows: Majority of FDP members support remaining in coalition

Background: at the end of the year, all FDP members were invited to vote in an online vote on whether the party should remain in the traffic light government. The result: The majority of liberals voted – albeit narrowly – to remain in the traffic light coalition. However, the result of the mood barometer would not have been binding for the party leadership anyway.

The survey was initiated by 598 party members, primarily from the Kassel district association, who were dissatisfied with their participation in the traffic light coalition.

In the required vote, 47.76 percent of FDP members voted to leave the government alliance with the SPD and the Greens. The majority, 52.24 percent, voted to remain in the coalition, as the party leadership announced on Monday. According to the FDP, 26,058 of the approximately 72,000 members took part in the mood barometer. With the result of the vote, the attempt by the party's internal traffic light opponents to organize a majority among the FDP base against participation in the government failed.

Vote on whether to keep the traffic lights – “FDP wants to take responsibility for our country”

Even though the vote was close, leading FDP representatives interpreted it in their initial reactions as confirmation of continued government participation. FDP General Secretary Djir-Sarai commented positively on the vote in a party press release: “The survey made it clear: The FDP wants to bear and shape responsibility for our country. The party members want to see a clear, liberal handwriting in government policy.”

FDP party leader Christian Lindner had already seen the outcome of the member survey on Monday on the short message service

The deputy parliamentary group leader of the FDP in the Bundestag, Konstantin Kuhle, told the dpa that the FDP must persistently advocate for content that it believes is correct. “In the new year, this includes not only a solid budget and financial policy but also the reform of the social security systems, for example through the share pension provided for in the coalition agreement.”

Initiators see the vote as proof that there is great discontent among the grassroots about the traffic light government

The initiators, however, interpreted the vote as evidence of the grassroots' dissatisfaction with the traffic lights. Like Nölke from the FDP Kassel. The result is a warning shot. “The FDP must change its current course”said the politician in an interview with the FAZ.

According to Nölke, clear statements are needed on topics such as financial policy. Like a clear agreement to comply with the debt brake. The FDP politician also calls for a “real willingness to save”. A change of course in energy policy is also essential. “All of these are things that are important to current and potential FDP voters,” Nölke continued.