Green party politician Robert Habeck expressed doubt that Wolfgang Kubicki is the leader capable of reinventing the Free Democratic Party (FDP). Speaking to Spiegel, the former vice chancellor stated that Kubicki “will not turn the FDP into the party Germany needs”.
Habeck believes that a liberal force is fundamentally important for Germany, noting that while he wishes such a party existed, currently it does not. He argues that there is a definite role for a liberal political party in Germany because other existing parties are unable to adequately fill this void.
However, Habeck expressed “great regret and great concern” that the FDP is not developing in this direction. According to him, there is a “truly gaping hole” in the German party system, but this gap is not located between the Union and the AfD, rather, “the gap is actually in the center of democracy”.
Regarding Kubicki, who is 74, Habeck acknowledged that his defiant appearance-characterized by phrases like “one has to say something after all”-might attract short-term votes. He speculated that this might result in some votes shifting from the AfD, while others come from the Union. Nonetheless, Habeck concluded that this shift does not equate to “the liberal force that this country requires”.
