Opposition rejects cooperation demanded by Scholz
Published: Saturday, Nov 9th 2024, 18:10
Zurück zu Live Feed
The CDU/CSU and FDP are rejecting the cooperation offered by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in the Bundestag following the end of the traffic light coalition. "It is high time for the Chancellor to ask the question of confidence in view of his broken coalition. This is a matter of course and is also expected by the citizens," said Thorsten Frei (CDU), Managing Director of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, to the newspaper "Welt am Sonntag". Afterwards, the upcoming legislative projects could be discussed and decided on without delay.
Following the break-up of his traffic light coalition, Scholz had shown himself willing to talk about the timing of a vote of confidence and the subsequent new election, after initially naming January 15 for the vote of confidence. However, on the fringes of the informal EU summit in Budapest, he called for an agreement in the Bundestag on which laws should still be passed.
Habeck does not want a long hanging game
Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) expressed doubts about possible conditions for a quick vote of confidence. This step is a matter for the Chancellor himself and must also be weighed up against the organization of a secure election, said the Minister for Economic Affairs on the fringes of a visit to Neuhardenberg. He was of the opinion that there should not be too long a hanging game. "Where I am very skeptical is whether these good or bad reasons - you can think of them however you like - should be mixed up with the implementation of political pet projects," said Habeck.
SPD names its important legislative plans to the CDU/CSU
Like Scholz, SPD General Secretary Matthias Miersch also signaled his willingness for talks with the CDU/CSU in the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" - combined with demands. "However, we must always take into account the concerns of the Federal Election Commissioner and ensure that a fair and properly prepared election is possible," said Miersch. And one condition is that the CDU/CSU helps to pass certain projects before a new election in the Bundestag.
"Olaf Scholz has offered to come to a concrete agreement with the CDU/CSU on which important projects we can still advance together in the Bundestag - such as child benefit, long-term care insurance and the Deutschlandticket," emphasized Miersch. "If this constructive cooperation is secured, we can talk about the timing of the vote of confidence and the new elections."
In particular, Miersch called on the CDU/CSU to jointly adopt the pension package with a stabilization of old-age pensions. "Friedrich Merz said at the Junge Union's Germany Day that he does not want to run a pension election campaign: Then let's fix that and the pension level at 48 percent. We can adopt the pension package together."
Liberals find the Chancellor untrustworthy
The FDP once again called on Scholz to quickly clear the way for a new election. FDP Secretary General Bijan Djir-Sarai told the German Press Agency that the Chancellor is now delaying this with reference to national political responsibility.
"The Free Democrats had made him an offer to bring the coalition to an orderly end together and to complete time-critical projects quickly. However, he decided otherwise," said Djir-Sarai. During the failed negotiations to save the traffic light coalition, Finance Minister and FDP leader Christian Lindner had called for an orderly new election and Scholz had dismissed him.
"The remaining government of the incumbent chancellor now consists of two candidates for chancellor who no longer have a majority in parliament. Our country is without a leader," said Djir-Sarai. There is a lack of strength and will to solve the pressing problems and put the economy back on the road to success. The stalemate was irresponsible.
What new election date can the electoral officers actually manage?
However, Federal Election Commissioner Ruth Brand had appealed to Scholz not to rush his timetable. For organizational reasons, a new election in January or February would be risky, she wrote in a letter to the Chancellor.
On Monday, the federal and state electoral administrators plan to meet for an initial discussion on election preparations. The office of the Federal Returning Officer confirmed a corresponding report by Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. As with regular elections, there is a need to exchange information, for example on new procedures following an amendment to the Federal Electoral Regulations.
©Keystone/SDA
German 
English 
French 
Spanish 
Arabic