Volker Wissing: "It Hurts to See a Party Tear Itself Apart"
Former leading FDP politician Volker Wissing (now non-partisan) has sharply criticized his former party. "It truly hurts to see a party tear itself apart and jeopardize its future. But the reasons are obvious," stated the former FDP state leader in Mainz and ex-Federal Minister of Transport.
Wissing highlighted that the Liberals' role in the "Ampel" (traffic light) coalition government, composed of the SPD, Greens, and FDP under Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), had a negative impact. "The FDP had clearly voted to join the Ampel coalition at the federal level, but then immediately began to question this very decision, which it had freely made. It criticized its own government instead of supporting it."
Furthermore, Wissing observed a consistent shift by the FDP towards the right-libertarian camp. "A party that declares the state its adversary, that claims 'the state is our problem,' naturally faces difficulties when tasked with proactively shaping the state." These challenges, he noted, were evident within the Ampel coalition. "The FDP seemed unsure whether it wanted to negotiate compromises or prevent solutions from forming at all." Wissing believes the FDP must resolve this internal ambivalence, otherwise, it will remain unattractive to voters. Wissing himself, currently working in the business sector, has ruled out a return to politics.
The Liberals achieved only 2.1 percent in Rhineland-Palatinate. In their traditional stronghold of Baden-Württemberg, they also failed to clear the five-percent hurdle in state elections two weeks prior, underscoring their current struggles.
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