Mr. Lindner, are you already eagerly learning English for the many meetings in Brussels and Washington?

Heike Goebel

Responsible editor for economic policy, responsible for “The order of the economy”.

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Johannes Pennekamp

Responsible editor for economic reporting, responsible for “Die Lounge”.

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Manfred Schäfers

Business correspondent in Berlin.

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In essence, your question aims at the allocation of responsibilities in the next government.

But I can't comment on that at the moment.

You yourself aroused the expectation that you would become the next Federal Minister of Finance.

When other parties complained about the Chancellery before the federal election, the FDP indicated that we would be ready to take responsibility for solid finances in Germany.

But we are now in the phase of forming a government.

Now the specifications in the matter are being negotiated.

Then staff.

A rumor reaches us from Brussels that they are no longer interested in the office of finance minister themselves.

One can only answer that incorrectly.

Why is the office so important for the FDP?

The office is significant for Germany.

It is about sustainable solid finances and policies against inflation risks.

The task is to activate private investments and to work out a fair balance between private and state.

In addition, after the French presidential election, debates in the European Economic and Monetary Union are pending.

Here the FDP will make contributions in the German interest.

Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz warned against a finance minister Lindner.

He fears that in the tradition of the conservative Wolfgang Schäuble you will save Germany and Europe to pieces.

An economist texted me telling me that I would be anointed to the hawk - it made me laugh because I hadn't seen myself like that.

Beyond his merits, Mr. Stiglitz stands for the belief that growth effects must come from monetary policy and extensive fiscal policy.

On the other hand, I see the danger that the central banks could become dependent on state fiscal policy.

Unfortunately, the fact that the ECB seems to be acting differently than the Fed at the moment could corroborate my fears.

It therefore makes sense for Germany to continue to advocate stability.

Keyword corona reconstruction fund.

As finance minister, Olaf Scholz has made it clear that this is not a one-off for him, but rather the path to fiscal union.

Do you rule out that the EU will incur even more joint debts?

For example, the Finnish head of government has just ruled this out.

The reconstruction fund was rightly identified as an exception.

In the German Bundestag there would be no constitutionally secure majority for a fiscal union.

I therefore advise against speculative debates, especially since the 750 billion euros have not yet been used at all.

There are rumors of a second development program for climate policy investments.

Would the FDP take part?

There is a lot of talk.

Proposals for the European Investment Bank to stimulate real economic investments make sense to me.

This also applies to the domestic reconstruction credit institution.

In this way, investments could be leveraged with private capital - while maintaining private liability, which is required from a regulatory perspective.

What would be advisable against is a subsidy regime borne by the taxpayers.

Then there would be deadweight effects and inefficient investments.

The Stability Pact is being intensified in Brussels.

Economists from the European Stability Mechanism are campaigning for the debt ceiling to be raised from 60 to 100 percent of gross domestic product.