FDP party congress approves Ampel coalition agreement

After the SPD, the FDP has now paved the way for the first traffic light alliance at federal level. At the liberal party congress, 92 percent of the delegates voted for the coalition agreement between the SPD, the Greens and the FDP.

Party leader Christian Lindner had previously sworn his FDP to government responsibility. “It is better to dare to venture into this coalition than to forego design opportunities,” said Lindner. The resemblance to his sentence “It is better not to govern than to govern wrongly”, with which he justified the rejection of the black-green-yellow Jamaica negotiations in 2017, was certainly no coincidence.

Lindner campaigned for the coalition agreement with the SPD and the Greens. “It is a coalition agreement for a policy of the center that does not move our country to the left, but wants to lead it forward.” Equal opportunities, the digitization of state and society, compliance with the debt brake and the change towards a socio-ecological one are important to him Market economy.

Lindner agrees the party to compromise

Lindner explained that now significantly more “liberal policy content” is possible than in Jamaica in 2017. Lindner also made it clear that the FDP must make compromises in the government. The party will shape the coalition and government action. “But let’s also allow government action to shape us as a party.” In the future, the FDP will possibly formulate less sharp-edged, learn from the coalition partners on the issues and show a new diversity of personalities.

Even at Lindner himself one can observe how he, as finance minister-designate, tries to appear more statesmanlike. He will not be the Federal Minister of the FDP or the traffic light, but rather the “Federal Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany”, explained the 42-year-old.

Legalization, family law, immigration with a point system

In his speech, FDP vice-president Johannes Vogel made the – from his point of view – historical significance of the change of power clear. “What we are planning is nothing less than the greatest social liberalization since the 90s, maybe since the 70s.” Vogel named a more modern family law, the legalization of cannabis, a reform of citizenship law and an immigration law with a points system based on the Canadian model.

The traffic light coalition agreement is expected to be signed on Tuesday. The result of the strike vote among the Greens is expected on Monday. Vogel described the change of power in times of the pandemic as “the most complex takeover of government in the history of the Federal Republic”.

The start of the traffic light alliance is overshadowed by the dramatic situation in the corona crisis. The FDP had to vacate several of the positions it had held during the election campaign. Meanwhile, FDP leader Christian Lindner and many of his party colleagues are in favor of a general vaccination requirement.

Lindner sees no U-turn

“Everyone had hoped and expected with the availability of the vaccines that this winter would be different than last year,” said Lindner. This hope has not been confirmed. The fourth wave with dramatic numbers of infections represents a new special danger. It is now a matter of a strategy “which combats risks more consistently, but which at the same time preserves more social life”.

Lindner denied that his party had changed course in the corona policy with a view to the imminent entry into the federal government. “There is no U-turn by Free Democrats in pandemic policy.”

Various arguments and the low willingness to vaccinate made him thoughtful, said Lindner. “This debate is sensitive to our society because it can lead to divisions”, he admitted, “because it is a very personal ethical consideration”. That is why a thorough debate is necessary. Lindner supported the proposal to lift the parliamentary group requirement for a vote on the general compulsory vaccination.