The FDP is holding its party conference at the weekend. At the beginning, party leader Lindner attacked the activists of the “Last Generation” group. The news ticker.
- FDP boss: Lindner re-elected as party leader with 88 percent of the vote
- protests for the FDP party conference: Greenpeace demands a billion contribution
- party congress the FDP: The Liberals meet with party leader Christian Lindner
- Government with SPD and greens: Political mood in the FDP has fallen since joining the traffic light coalition
Update from April 21, 5:45 p.m.: FDP leader Christian Lindner has been confirmed in office. He was re-elected as party chairman at the federal party conference in Berlin with 88 percent of the votes. Two years ago he received 93 percent of the votes when he was re-elected. Lindner thanked him for the “special back strengthening”. There was no opposing candidate for the post of Chairman.
Lindner has been party leader for almost 10 years. In 2025 he could surpass Hans-Dietrich Genscher, who will then be in office for twelve years, as the longest-serving chairman of the FDP. In his speech to the delegates, Lindner advocated a “modern, non-left Germany”. At the same time, he also distanced himself from right-wing forces. In the governing coalition, the FDP sees its role as a “market economy corrective”.
Party speech by Christian Lindner: Criticism of “Last Generation”
Update from April 21, 4:25 p.m.: Economics Minister Christian Linder sharply criticized the protest actions of the group “Last Generation” at the FDP party conference. Anyone who wants to achieve change must go into politics and achieve majorities for their positions. The blockades of the climate activists, on the other hand, are nothing more than physical violence, said the FDP leader. “Speed limit and 9-euro ticket, these are very small ideas – and they are a big hassle,” Lindner continued. “The other way around would be better.”
The FDP leader is therefore concerned that the population is developing an understanding of the measures taken by climate activists. “Volker Wissing does more specifically for climate protection than the actions of the last generation and the climate sticker,” said Lindner.
FDP party conference: “Last generation” announces protests
Update from April 21, 12:49 p.m: The last generation has also announced protests before the FDP party conference. “The FDP sees itself as a party of freedom, but does its policy really lead to the protection of the freedoms of the general public? If the climate crisis continues to escalate, little by little, little people will lose all their freedoms,” the activists said in a press release. FDP Transport Minister Volker Wissing wants to meet members of the group at the beginning of May.
FDP party conference: Liberals set course – Greenpeace demands billions in contribution
Update from April 21, 11:20 a.m: Since 11:00 a.m., the FDP has been setting its course in the traffic light coalition – in the meantime, several organizations have protested ahead of the party conference in Berlin and called for a course correction by the liberals in climate policy. “The climate crisis is changing everything! When will the FDP change?” it said on a Greenpeace leaflet.
Greenpeace accused the FDP of blocking a speed limit on motorways and of having enforced the exception rule for e-fuels in traffic in the EU. The campaign organization Campact demanded: “End climate sabotage”. She called on the FDP to provide 45 billion euros for buses and trains and to promote a heating transition with renewable energies instead of oil and gas heating.
FDP party conference: party leader Christian Lindner is up for re-election
Update from April 21, 08:25: After several electoral failures, the mood at the FDP should actually be in the basement. But it isn’t – at least not obviously. Perhaps the election result of party leader Christian Lindner at the party conference will show how the Liberals are really doing.
Lindner is already standing for re-election today. Two years ago, 93 percent of the delegates voted for him. His result now can also be seen as an indication of how satisfied the party base is with what has been achieved so far in the traffic light coalition with the SPD and the Greens.
Since the federal election, the FDP has failed at the five percent hurdle in the state elections in Saarland, in Lower Saxony and in the repeat election in Berlin. In Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia, she managed to return to the state parliament despite heavy losses, but was kicked out of government in each case. In response to the poor results, Lindner announced that he would “work out and strengthen” his own positions and turn on the liberal “position lights”. The work of the FDP in the traffic light should become more visible.
Latest announcement from the activist group Fridays for Future
Specifically for the FDP party conference, the activist group Fridays for Future is calling for a protest on Friday. In the afternoon, she first wants to face the ministry of Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) against a “Blocking attitude” of the liberals in climate policy demonstrate and then go to the FDP party conference at Gleisdreieckpark.
FDP before party congress with many open construction sites
First report from April 20th: Berlin – Christian Lindner has achieved a lot in ten years. At that time, as federal chairman, he took over the FDP, which had been kicked out of the Bundestag, and began to rebuild it. Today, Lindner is not only firmly at the top of the party, but also the Federal Minister of Finance.
Nevertheless, there are many open construction sites that are likely to lead to controversial debates at the party conference beginning on Friday. Specifically, four problems should be on the agenda.
Profiling offends: political mood far down since entering government
The political mood in the FDP has gone downhill since entering the government. Several state elections brought devastating results. In the upcoming elections in Bremen, Hesse and Bavaria, a fall below the five percent hurdle seems possible. In the nationwide polls, the FDP is at five to seven percent. The 11.5 percent she achieved in the federal election currently seems unattainable.
With their contrary opinions, the party and the other coalition partners rub shoulders again and again. There is hardly a political area that the coalition partners do not argue about – mostly it is the FDP and the Greens.
The Liberal Party does not believe in bans. Instead, it relies on budgetary discipline, including tax cuts, to sharpen its profile. The FDP board wants to have this line approved in its main proposal at the party conference. Some party members vehemently emphasize that the FDP agreed to the traffic light coalition solely for reasons of reason.
The cabinet problem: too many negative headlines instead of good news
The FDP ministers in the federal cabinet have not made any good news recently. Bettina Stark-Watzinger is responsible for a difficult area with the education department, because the responsibility lies largely with the federal states. The long delay in the energy allowance for students led to annoyance among young people.
Transport Minister Volker Wissing is making negative headlines with a lack of climate protection and the debates about phasing out combustion engines and e-fuels. Not much has been heard from Justice Minister Marco Buschmann in recent months.
Finance Minister Lindner has so far not been able to agree on the cornerstones of the budget for 2024 with the others in the cabinet. So far he has successfully stuck to his principles of complying with the debt brake and not raising taxes. But that has not yet brought a solution.
No good celebrity staff except Lindner – lots of unknown party members
The most prominent liberal remains Lindner. Dissenting voices within the party – such as party deputy Johannes Vogel with a more social-liberal profile and the Bavarian general secretary Lukas Köhler, who is concerned about climate protection – rarely get through. Group leader Christian Dürr or Secretary General Bijan Djir-Sarai are hardly known despite the media presence.
FDP veteran Wolfgang Kubicki, on the other hand, is sure to make the headlines and will again be vice-chairman at the party conference. However, instead of constructive suggestions, he usually relies on regulars’ slogans.
Shortly before the party conference, he warned the Last Generation group not to disturb the FDP federal party conference in Berlin from this Friday. “Anyone who sticks to themselves in order to hinder others in their democratic decision-making is a sin against our democracy,” said Kubicki New Osnabrück newspaper from Thursday.
Too few women in the party – men’s share of 80 percent
The FDP has a male share of about 80 percent – ascending trend. “If it were up to the new entrants, we would be practically a monoculture of men,” warned Ombudsman Christopher Gohl at the party conference in April 2022.
Party congress resolutions from 2019 to increase the proportion of women in offices and mandates were never implemented. The topic is considered extremely difficult in the party. Nobody here wants to hear the word “quota”. (AFP, dpa)
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