Two weeks after the German election, the new coalition government is struggling with the consequences of the economic crisis. Both the Christian Democrats and the FDP want to lower taxes to please the electorate, but the country's massive budget deficit means that cost-cutting and tax hikes are more realistic. When politicians are forced to abandon big plans, they tend to come up with all kinds of excuses to explain their change of heart, talking about everything from unfavorable circumstances to modified forecasts. The leadership of Germany's pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) is turning to a no less tried-and-true approach: assigning the blame to others. Last Thursday, the leaders of the future coalition government of the FDP and Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) met for a second round of coalition negotiations at the offices of the Berlin representation of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The two teams consisted of Merkel and 17 other senior members of the CDU and the CSU, on the one hand, and the FDP's nine-member negotiating team, led by party Chairman Guido Westerwelle, on the other.
Two weeks after the German election, the new coalition government is struggling with the consequences of the economic crisis. Both the Christian Democrats and the FDP want to lower taxes to please the electorate, but the country's massive budget deficit means that cost-cutting and tax hikes are more realistic.
When politicians are forced to abandon big plans, they tend to come up with all kinds of excuses to explain their change of heart, talking about everything from unfavorable circumstances to modified forecasts. The leadership of Germany's pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) is turning to a no less tried-and-true approach: assigning the blame to others.
Last Thursday, the leaders of the future coalition government of the FDP and Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) met for a second round of coalition negotiations at the offices of the Berlin representation of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The two teams consisted of Merkel and 17 other senior members of the CDU and the CSU, on the one hand, and the FDP's nine-member negotiating team, led by party Chairman Guido Westerwelle, on the other.
Jürgen Rüttgers, 58, is a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and governor of the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. He spoke to SPIEGEL about his warnings to the new federal government against imposing sweeping cuts to public spending, as well as his role as a supporter of workers' rights. SPIEGEL: Governor Rüttgers, do you know what your colleagues in the Christian Democrats and the Free Democratic Party FDP secretly call you? Jürgen Rüttgers: No. That's why it's secret. SPIEGEL: Then perhaps you could tell us which of the following titles you find appropriate: "Rüttgers, the anti-reformist." Rüttgers: I don't like it.
Jürgen Rüttgers, 58, is a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and governor of the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. He spoke to SPIEGEL about his warnings to the new federal government against imposing sweeping cuts to public spending, as well as his role as a supporter of workers' rights.
SPIEGEL: Governor Rüttgers, do you know what your colleagues in the Christian Democrats and the Free Democratic Party FDP secretly call you?
Jürgen Rüttgers: No. That's why it's secret.
SPIEGEL: Then perhaps you could tell us which of the following titles you find appropriate: "Rüttgers, the anti-reformist."
Rüttgers: I don't like it.
