Media demand withdrawal

German “traffic light” finally puts the brakes on itself

Symbolic image of the "traffic light" constitution

(Bild: AFP/Christof Stache)

Over the past few days, the German government has once again demonstrated that it can no longer do just that: govern! What began as a progressive coalition is now in ruins. While the German Chancellor is trying to make fun of himself, the leading German media are calling for an emergency stop to his "traffic light".

The German coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP has had another stormy few days. Their dispute is now so deep that it has a global impact and parts of the "traffic light" are practising self-abandonment. 

The starting point is the dispute over the preparation of a federal budget. At the weekend, an internal letter from Finance Minister Christian Lindner to Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius was leaked to the media.

Ukraine confusion at the absolute worst time
Lindner's stipulation: the agreed maximum limits must be strictly adhered to when supporting Ukraine. Germany is spending the sums pledged for 2024 and 2025 as planned. For the time being, new projects for Ukraine will only be implemented in exceptional cases - with the approval of the Ministry of Finance. The catch: the budget for next year has been exhausted.

Aid payments are to be gradually reduced. The German budget dispute is hitting Kiev hard. Now of all times, when Vladimir Putin is on the defensive due to a Ukrainian invasion in Kursk Oblast, the "traffic light" is sending signals of retreat. Communication is a disaster and Germany is seen as an unreliable partner.

Scholz remains self-deprecatingly silent
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who could provide clarification, returned from his vacation on Monday. Not at a hastily convened press conference, but at an appearance at the traditional Stoppelmarkt folk festival in Lower Saxony. He had read that he was not a great speaker, he said in the marquee in front of around 2000 guests. 

"I'll say, it wasn't easy to earn this reputation," he remarked self-deprecatingly. The Social Democrat went on to say that northern Germans and he personally are said to be boring: "But that's a complete lie - we only think before we speak, and all day if we have to." The visibly refreshed "traffic light" leader refrained from making a statement on the self-inflicted confusion surrounding Ukraine aid. It was probably an intensive thought process.

Drinking to forget? Scholz during his speech at the Stoppelmarkt.

(Bild: AFP/FOCKE STRANGMANN)

In a later tweet, he referred to a "50 billion loan" from the G7 nations for Kiev, which is partly fed by frozen Russian assets. "Ukraine can use this to procure weapons on a large scale. It can build on that." The catch: it is not clear whether this is legally feasible and whether the G7 will actually release the 50 billion euros. In his first interview since his vacation days, he praised "the balance sheet" of his coalition and found "nothing at all unclear" about his Ukraine construct.

Green Party leader more or less gives up
However, Scholz may no longer have any say in the matter. Green Party leader Omid Nouripour already said his goodbyes in his ARD summer interview on Sunday. "This coalition is a transitional coalition after the Merkel era." His message: It's all too late anyway, even though there are still 13 months left to govern! There is "a disconcerting desire" to argue. Despite all their successes, they had reached their limits in terms of content. This would not change.

In just a few sentences, Nouripour managed to declare the entire German government to be placeholders:

Economics Minister Robert Habeck, who himself harbors ambitions to become chancellor, recently commented on a compromise in the budget dispute and still gaping billion-dollar holes in the budget with the words: "Boah, how can I put it? That's just the way it is, isn't it?"

Political observers and journalists in Germany are completely baffled by this strange resignation. The most pressing question is: Can this "transitional government" be shortened?

Leading media call for the "traffic light" to be terminated
Der Spiegel sees the words of Green Party leader Nouripour as an outrageous revelation. "The traffic light as a stopgap, as a bridge between eras - the verdict on the party's own disintegration could hardly have been harsher," the magazine finds. It is a political impertinence. Nowhere in the Basic Law is the right to give up and remain in inner resignation written down.

Have the courage, take off your hat!

„Bild“

Bild: Wikipedia

Before the "rapid loss of people's trust" continues to accelerate, the federal government should "rather find a way to bury the once promising experiment as quickly as possible".

"Bild": "Have the courage, take your hat!"
Just how poisoned the atmosphere among the three parties has become is shown by the unworthy spectacle surrounding the Ukraine aid. "What can a coalition achieve whose individual parts can only get along with each other because the duration of the constitutionally anchored electoral term provides for it?" asks the "Süddeutsche Zeitung". "Bild" demands: "Have the courage, take your hat!"

From tabloids to political magazines, everyone seems to agree: this "traffic light" has finally put the brakes on itself!