Scholz Kept Rolling Over for German Finance Chief. Then He Cracked
- Firing of Germany’s finance minister was long in the making
- Stonewalling, media leaks highlighted lack of coalition unity
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There was no holding Olaf Scholz back as he told astonished reporters in the halls of Berlin’s chancellery building on Wednesday why he had just decided to dismiss Finance Minister Christian Lindner and bury his own three-party coalition.
“Anyone who joins a government must act seriously and responsibly,” the normally reserved center-left leader said. “They must not go missing when things get difficult. They must be prepared to compromise in the interests of all citizens. But that’s not what Christian Lindner is about.”