Overview
- In a year-end ntv interview, the former finance minister said “We have Merz debt, but no Merz reforms,” arguing the new government has not delivered its promised reset.
- He warned that by the end of the decade a significant share of the federal budget will be consumed by interest payments as the state’s footprint expands.
- Lindner criticized the EU’s €90 billion Ukraine loan as de facto debt mutualization that erodes fiscal discipline.
- He ruled out a return to politics, saying the probability “goes to zero,” and will start private-sector roles in early 2026, including at car dealer Autoland, alongside positions at Stepstone and Teneo.
- Lindner said becoming a father in 2025 “rather radicalized” his long-term fiscal views, while he offered selective praise for Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Economy Minister Katharina Reiche.