Free Democrats leader Christian Lindner. Picture: REUTERS
Lindner, whose business career was patchy at best, is also under pressure. Falling short in securing a role for the FDP in Germany’s next government could imperil his political career after he controversially pulled out of coalition talks four years ago. “That’s how it should be,” he said on Monday in an interview with public broadcaster ARD. “The key thing is that we quickly show that we are up to the task we have been given by the voters, and I’m sure that we’ll get there.”
In a Bloomberg webinar this month, he made it clear that the price for any alliance with the Social Democrats would be steep, but left the door open. Despite his relative youth, Lindner has long been the face of the FDP. Joining as a teenager, he took control in 2013 at the age of 34. He led the pro-business party back into German parliament after it crashed out after a rocky coalition for Merkel’s second term.