Former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer (Greens) has accused the black-red federal government of governing without a joint project. Without such a goal, each coalition partner would try to push through its own agenda, which would inevitably lead to failure, Fischer told the German Press Agency (dpa) in Cologne. He served as foreign minister from 1998 to 2005 in the red-green coalition under Chancellor Gerhard Schröder.
Fischer: ‘Catch-up effort needed for Germany’
According to Fischer, the only viable joint project at present is restoring Germany’s competitiveness. The technology gap in the digital sector is causing the country to fall further behind. ‘What is needed now is the will for a catch-up effort,’ demanded the 78-year-old. The potential exists, but the will is lacking. Currently, it does not look like anything major will come from the black-red coalition.
Lessons from Agenda 2010
Fischer cited Chancellor Schröder’s Agenda 2010 as a model. At that time, the Greens had pushed for labor market and social reforms during the first legislative term but were initially rebuffed. Only after the 2002 federal election did a joint project become possible, with both coalition partners standing behind it. Fischer stressed that the CDU/CSU and SPD should not constantly calculate what they might gain or lose with each plan. ‘You don’t join the federal government to promote your party; you join the federal government for your country.’
Voters would reward such commitment, Fischer expressed confidence. The government must urgently restore the country’s competitiveness. EuroPulse reported on June 12, 2026, on the federal government’s draft law on the EU AI regulation (europulse.today/ki-verordnung-umsetzung-deutschland-gesetzentwurf/).
Source: www.tagesspiegel.de
