Green and FDP leaders sound out potential coalition

In an interview with German public broadcaster ARD, Green Party head Cem Özdemir and his Free Democratic (FDP) counterpart, Christian Lindner, discussed the possibility of joining a government coalition after the general election. Lindner said he associates “phantasy” with the term ‘Jamaica coalition’, which describes the alliance of conservatives (CDU/CSU), Greens, and FDP. The election campaign was not about coalitions, but about important topics, according to Lindner: “Thank God we live in a democracy that’s not about destroying the political opponents, but about the competition of ideas. I don’t see myself in a role where I have to frantically distinguish myself from the Greens and fight with them”, he said. Özdemir said: “I think of [Jamaica] being a coalition that exists in [the state of] Schleswig-Holstein, which governs very successfully, and where the Greens make the difference”. Both parties share the goal of reaching the country’s climate targets, but have different views on how to get there, said Lindner. “We [the FDP] do not at all question the German climate targets […], but I think the paths we chose to organise the energy transition are wrong.”

Find the video in German here.

For background, read the CLEW article German election to define speed and shape of energy transition and the factsheet Colour codes: How energy & climate policy differs in German coalitions.