Christian Lindner, leader of Germany’s Free Democrats (FDP), has announced plans to formally rule out any future coalition with the Greens, citing deep policy differences from their previous time in government.
In an interview with Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger on Sunday, Lindner said he would propose the move at the FDP’s upcoming federal party conference on Feb. 9. He argued that the Greens’ stance on migration, energy policy, and economic growth is fundamentally at odds with FDP priorities.
Lindner, who was dismissed as finance minister by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in November, played a key role in the collapse of the ruling coalition between the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens, and the pro-business FDP.
With Germany heading into an early national election on Feb. 23, Lindner is seeking to strengthen his party’s position. Recent polls show FDP support hovering around the 5% threshold required to secure parliamentary seats.
