Germany: Coalition crisis over child cash

The German governmental coalition – dubbed the ‘traffic light’ because of the political colors of its member parties: red for ‘Social Democrats’ (SPD), yellow for ‘Free Democrats’ or Libertarians (FDP) and green for the Green party – is in dispute over the child basic income (“Kindergrundsicherung”). This is supposed to replace the child benefit (“Kindergeld”) that the government has been paying to families with children. For weeks, the ‘traffic light’ partners have been arguing about the child basic income. A coalition crisis over child cash! Now the ‘yellow’ finance minister Lindner is putting pressure on: He wants a quick agreement – before the cabinet retreat on Tuesday.

In the ‘summer interview’ of the German public television station ZDF, he said yesterday: “I expect that we will have a very quick agreement on the cornerstones.” The ‘traffic light’ is not having “crisis talks on the topic, but there are working talks.” Lindner also does not believe in a word of power from the chancellor and emphasizes:

There can be no words of power in democracy.

German Minister of Finance Christian Lindner

Trouble in the cabinet!

In the first session after the summer break, there are crashes between Paus and Lindner.

The ‘traffic light’ has continued where it left off after the summer break: at the trouble. For weeks, the ‘green’ family minister Paus and ‘yellow’ finance minister Lindner have been arguing.

Paus wants twelve billion Euros per year for the little ones. The finance minister says: No way! He only offers two billion. And he sees the blame elsewhere.

Lindner is angry! The FDP leader complained in the ‘ZDF summer interview’ that he had “not carried any confrontation into the public”. The dispute does not come from him, Lindner said. He had only pointed out that there is a connection between child poverty and immigration to Germany. “These are the sober numbers,” he said.

This is what Lindner thinks: It’s about people working. And that children get a good education and social participation.

Opposition leader Friedrich Merz, boss of the center-right party ‘Christian Democratic Union’ (CDU) and successor in the party to Angela Merkel, railed in the ‘summer interview’ against the child basic income of the ‘traffic light’ government coalition. His message:

The better solution would be more support for children, better educational facilities, better care options.

Opposition leader Friedrich Merz

(Header image source: Bundesministerium der Finanzen/Photothek)