Henning Höne, the state leader of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) in North Rhine‑Westphalia and a candidate for the national chair, says he currently sees no place for Christian Lindner within the liberal ranks. When asked whether he would rally delegates at the upcoming party conference to bring Lindner back, Höne told RTL and ntv: “No. In the end, this conference has to decide on a restart. From my firm conviction, that also requires new faces”.
Höne confirmed that Lindner himself has dismissed the idea of returning. “He has a new role now and is happy there, and I sincerely wish him that” Höne remarked. He adds that his own relationship with Lindner is limited and that they are fundamentally different people, despite having worked closely together in the state parliament from 2013 to 2017: “I saw it at the state level and worked closely with Christian Lindner and the entire team, but we are completely different types, despite a few parallels”.
Nevertheless, Höne stays in touch with Lindner and many other party friends, stressing the need for a “liberal voice”.
He drew a sharper line against cooperation with the Alternative for Germany (AfD), stating: “No collaboration with the AfD. It’s a party that profits from problems instead of solving them”. According to Höne, the AfD is closer to Russia and to Vladimir Putin than to German security interests. “The party consciously tolerates radicals within its own ranks. The AfD is the absolute opposite of an individualistic and optimistic FDP”.