Kr. Lindner is in favor of the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine

LAST UPDATE: 15.12

FDP leader and Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner has warned of the economic consequences of Russia’s aggressive war in Ukraine. Germany needs to tackle “stagnant inflation” – a weaker economy with growing de-legitimization – said Lindner, who was digitally linked from Washington to the FDP congress on Saturday.

There was a “risk of impoverishment for many people,” Lindner said. It is also a threat to his ability to make a living as before. In addition, he said, confidence in Germany as a place to invest will be hurt and entrepreneurs will be less willing to take risks. Stagnant inflation could very quickly turn into an even deeper crisis of stability. In addition, hunger threatens certain parts of the world.

“On the one hand, we need more and stronger economic growth. This will not succeed in a situation of shortages, supply congestion and rising prices with the distribution of more and more government money and subsidies,” Lindner said. He called for investments in education and research, to address the challenges of attracting skilled workers, to reduce bureaucracy and to speed up planning processes.

At the same time, the federal finance minister continues to rule out tax increases. The waiver of tax increases was already significant in the coalition agreement, “now this waiver is urgent”.

Lindner also backed Chancellor Olaf Solz (SPD) in the dispute over arms supplies to Ukraine. “The chancellor has the confidence of the FDP and its parliamentary group in the German Bundestag,” Lindner said.

However, he added, “it is also clear that” Ukraine needs military assistance and heavy weapons. ” The situation requires responsible and serious decisions, he said. Overall criticism of the chancellor could not be an FDP affair, Lindner said. He expressed confidence that “Ukraine will win this war.”

Lindner criticizes CDU / CSU for “partisan political maneuvering”

Lindner strongly condemned the Union’s planned proposal to the Bundestag for the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine. “With an ongoing arms deliveries initiative, there is obviously an attempt to get the ruling coalition into trouble and thus destabilize the government as a whole,” Lindner said.

“To be clear: in times of war in Europe, I have no understanding of this form of partisanship. We need a government capable of taking action, which will make the necessary decisions for our office.”

Mr Lindner went on to say that he was also concerned about the fact that the CDU / CSU parliamentary group was arguing very regularly about the planned € 100 billion special fund for the Bundeswehr. The leader of the Union faction, Friedrich Mertz (CDU), had stated that he would not give the governing coalition more votes than needed to amend the constitution. “What is this more than a pure partisan tactic on an issue of this historical dimension?”

It was a matter of defining a fundamental course, Lindner said. He said that the CDU / CSU should ask itself whether with this approach it is fulfilling its responsibility in terms of state policy. He called on the CDU and the CSU to “stop partisan gymnastics on the floor in matters of security of the Federal Republic of Germany and in existential matters of alliance and to assume state political responsibility”.

FDP Vice President Wolfgang Kubicki had previously opened the party congress by criticizing the SPD as a coalition partner. Referring to international criticism of Germany’s reluctance to supply arms to Ukraine, he said: “The image that many representatives of the largest ruling party are presenting in the eyes of the world at the moment cannot satisfy us as a coalition partner.”

Kubicki warned: “We just do not have time to deal with the ideological baggage of the past.” Ukraine needs concrete and effective military assistance, he said. “And some say there is also a lack of determination to lead right now.”

The FDP leader is calling for rapid independence from Russian energy sources

According to Lindner, Ukraine was attacked by Russian President Vladimir Putin for “making valuable decisions in the direction of Europe”, moving away from Putin’s authoritarian system. “Ukraine is also fighting for the values ​​that are important to us,” Lindner said. “This is why Ukraine must win this war, and Ukraine will win this war,” Lindner said.

At the same time, Mr. Lindner stressed that Germany and Europe must become independent from imports of Russian energy sources as soon as possible. This would require diversification, for example with the introduction of liquefied natural gas, and renewable “free forms of energy” would have to expand at an accelerating rate. It is important to keep energy accessible and to ensure the competitiveness of the German economy. As for the global consequences of the war, for example for the world economy or food supply, Lindner said the cause was not the sanctions imposed on Russia, but the aggressive war of President Vladimir Putin.