At a citizens’ dialogue in Berlin, Chancellor Scholz made his first public statement on the elections in Thuringia and Saxony. However, he did not have an answer to one question.
Berlin – Why does the traffic light coalition look so hopelessly divided? At a citizens’ dialogue in Berlin, Chancellor Olaf Scholz had no answer. He responded with a counter-question: “What is your magic formula? I mean, I’m asking for a friend.”
He was asked by a 48-year-old educator from Berlin-Pankow. He wanted to know how Scholz explained the constant differences in the traffic light coalition coupled with indiscretions. “It’s like a small group of children: one says one thing, the other says another, and everything is communicated to the outside world,” said the questioner.
There was no objection from Scholz. “The truth is: you are right,” he said. On the subject of indiscretions, he then added that he actually had “three enclosed rooms” in the Chancellery that were secure from bugging. When asked, he simply repeated briefly: “You are right.”
Differences with Lindner? “Rare so far”
However, Scholz contradicted one of the questioners’ comments. He did not accept the fact that he and Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) constantly disagree. “That has rarely happened so far,” he stressed.
The Chancellor’s comments fit the picture of the last few weeks. While the coalition partners previously always promised improvements after major disputes such as the heating law, they now seem to have given up on that.
The traffic light silencer did not work
Almost exactly a year ago, Lindner said after a cabinet meeting at Meseberg Castle near Berlin: “We are a government where there is hammering and screwing. That leads to noise, as you have already noticed. But something also comes out.”
And Scholz added, looking to the future: “We will hammer and knock, but with silencers.” That didn’t work. Instead, the background noise from the stuttering traffic lights has become even louder.
Three reasons for the AfD’s rise
At the Citizens’ Dialogue, Scholz also answered questions about the election results in Thuringia and Saxony for the first time. The AfD’s performance of more than 30 percent “depresses me greatly,” he said. He attributed the massive rise of the party, which the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies as definitely right-wing extremist in both states, to three issues: growing insecurity in times of upheaval, irregular migration, and the war in Ukraine.
The massive economic and social changes are unsettling many citizens, said the Chancellor. As an example, he cited the restructuring of the economy to reduce emissions of climate-damaging gases. When it comes to modernization, we have to “prove through action that we can do it.” The federal government must now also show that it has the issue of irregular migration under control. “That is what I am trying to do.”
When it comes to the war in Ukraine, however, Scholz is not prepared to change his course. He wants to continue to support Ukraine with arms deliveries, but to act in a prudent manner as before. “This is an issue that needs to be discussed. But I also think that this is a question that also requires us to remain truthful. And I can say that I will stick to my prudent course, but a course of support.”
SPD results: “There could have been more”
On Sunday, the SPD achieved its worst election results since 1990 in Saxony and Thuringia, with 7.3 and 6.1 percent respectively. The result in Thuringia is even the worst in a state election ever.
On Monday, Scholz initially only commented on the matter in writing and described the SPD results as “bitter”. At the same time, he expressed relief that the “gloomy forecasts” according to which the SPD could have fallen below the five percent hurdle did not come to pass.
At the Citizens’ Dialogue, Scholz only said of the SPD’s results that he would have preferred better results for the election campaigners in Saxony and Thuringia. “They could have achieved more because they did really well. But we have to take note of that.” dpa
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