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SPD leader Lars Klingbeil: The government must regain trust

Photo: Tobias Schwarz / AFP

Despite poor poll numbers for the federal government and Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), SPD leader Lars Klingbeil is optimistic about the year 2024. "The Chancellor - I am optimistic and also sure - will fight his way back this year," he told the television station " World".

The government must behave differently in 2024 and regain trust.

The challenges are all known.

Scholz recently fell in the polls.

According to the ARD Germany trend from January, only 19 percent are satisfied with the Chancellor.

According to the broadcaster, this is the lowest value since these Chancellor surveys began in 1997. In general, the values ​​​​of the traffic light parties in the surveys have collapsed, for the SPD to around 13 to 15 percent.

Klingbeil: We need “less diversity in the government”

Klingbeil confirmed his previous criticism.

»The fact that the SPD has to make better policies, that the Chancellor has now announced on his own initiative that he wants to explain more, that he wants to be more present, that there has to be less argument in the government, these are all points that I urge for a long time," said the SPD leader.

He also emphasized that there must be “less arguments, so less diversity in the government.”

In the future, the government must concentrate on the working middle class, "when it comes to issues such as the commuter allowance, for example, in order to socially cushion the justified climate measures that the government is considering."

As further examples, he cited functioning care, affordable rents, decent wages and a functioning infrastructure and railway.

These topics are “of great importance for workers in this country.”

The most current controversial topic at the traffic light: the increase in the child tax allowance planned by Finance Minister Christian Lindner.

The SPD considers the project to be “unfair” because child benefit should not be increased, which is why only wealthier families would benefit.

However, the FDP rejects this criticism.

czl/dpa