The Free Democratic Party (FDP) will only enter a government coalition if it can secure tax relief for citizens and businesses, according to the party’s chairman, Christian Lindner. “We will only enter a coalition if there are tax reliefs for the citizens and the companies in the next four years” Lindner told the Rheinische Post.
Lindner emphasized that the party had kept its promise of no tax increases in 2021 and will do the same for tax relief in the future. “We have excluded tax increases in 2021 and kept our word. We will be just as reliable in terms of tax relief. Because they are necessary to achieve an economic upswing” he said.
The demand is part of the so-called coalition criteria that the FDP will vote on at its party convention on the upcoming Sunday.
Lindner has also ruled out a coalition with the Greens, stating that he would not enter a coalition with the party as chairman. “I can only advise against it” he said, referring to Friedrich Merz, who is still open to the idea. “Stagnation, heating chaos, refusal of a controlled immigration policy and the attitude of patronization – all of that I experienced with the Greens. I do not think it is responsible for our country anymore” Lindner said.
Lindner warned that the AfD’s strength is due to the fact that the FDP is not cooperating with the Greens and that a future government with the Greens would likely lead to a “Austria-like” situation in Germany in the future. “If the FDP is in the Bundestag, the Greens would not have a majority. A Jamaica coalition with the Greens is not an option for us, so a black-red-yellow government is the most likely outcome. Black-yellow would be the best, but black-red-yellow is at least better than black-green” Lindler said.