Governing party members question German coalition after shocking losses at polls

BERLIN – More members of Germany’s liberal FDP questioned the continued existence of the governing coalition on Tuesday following terrible results in state elections in Saxony and Thuringia.

The FDP is the junior partner in Germany’s government, along with Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s centre-left Social Democrats and the Greens. The coalition faces a potential defeat in the next federal elections in September 2025.

They all did badly in Sunday’s votes in the eastern states, where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) came first in Thuringia and second in Saxony. The FDP failed to even make the state parliament in the former, along with the Greens.

“Over the next few days, we need to find a clear answer to the question of whether our country is really still being helped by the traffic light coalition – or whether it will actually end up harming the country and our democracy,” vice chair of the FDP parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Gyde Jensen, told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) on Tuesday.

“If we continue to sugarcoat things now, it would only be an escape from reality.”

The FDP grassroots initiative Weckruf-Freiheit (Wake-up Call Freedom) was even clearer, with an open letter on its website to leader Christian Lindner entitled “Mr Lindner: Get out of the traffic light coalition or resign.”

The letter continued: “Loyalty to the traffic light coalition will lead to a dangerous loss of identity for the FDP and will deal our party a fatal blow.”

It said Lindner, the German finance minister, should act or create space for people who do. Party Secretary General Bijan Djir-Sarai was proposed as the new FDP leader by the grassroots group.

A source close to Lindner said: “Anyone who feels called to lead the FDP can run at the upcoming federal party conference in 2025. Then, in case of doubt, we will see who has what fighting power and strategy.”