FDP crisis: General Secretary and Managing Director step back after D-Day paper

FDP crisis: General Secretary and Managing Director step back after D-Day paper

Hans-Dietrich-Genscher-Haus, Berlin, Deutschland - Berlin - The FDP is in shock! After uncovering a explosive plan to get out of the traffic light coalition, the first heads draw consequences. General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai and Federal Managing Director Carsten Reymann will step back! This decision comes after the publication of the so-called "D-Day" paper, which outlines a detailed strategy for exit from the coalition with the SPD and the Greens.

In an emotional explanation, Djir-Sarai took responsibility for the confusion about the secret document. "I unknowingly informed wrongly. That wasn't my intention," the 48-year-old confessed to the Hans-Dietrich-Genscher-Haus. He apologized and explained that he resigned out of political responsibility to avert further damage from the credibility of the FDP. Reymann, a close confidant of party leader Christian Lindner, followed him and also offered his resignation to enable the party's reorganization. "The FDP has to go to the election campaign without a stressful personnel debates," said Reymann.

The controversial "D-Day" paper

The explosive document, which became known the day before, describes the "ideal time" for the exit from the traffic light coalition. The time? Between November 4 and 10! On November 6th there was actually a break when Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed Djir-Sarai as finance minister. The chairwoman of the young liberals, Franziska Brandmann, demanded Djir-Sarais resignation and described the paper as "unworthy of a liberal party". She felt deceived and made it clear that not only the public, but also her own party members were left in the dark for weeks.

The choice of words of the strategy paper also caused outrage. The term "D-Day", historically stressed by World War II, was used several times and met with sharp criticism. The expression that is associated with the landing of the Allies in Normandy evokes dark memories of bloodshed and loss. Djir-Sarai, who has been in office since April 2022, and Reymann, who has only been the federal manager since March, are now at the center of a political storm that shakes the FDP.