Coalition committee
Top black-red meeting: It could traffic lights on these points
Copy the current link
Add to the memorial list
There is struggle in the young government alliance. Can the tips from Union and SPD clear their disputes? The black and red coalition is faced with a stress test.
Tim Klüssendorf slowly has the faxes thick. The Union is doing this, the new SPD general secretary mumps, for which she has always criticized the traffic lights. “It terminates joint agreements from the government from the sidelines and sows the sowing costume,” Klüssendorf told the German Press Agency.
If you want to call the German leaf forest as loud as possible, choose this path. The frustration of the Social Democrats is deep, Klüssendorf leaves no doubt about it. He demands that the Chancellor should end “the interference from his own ranks”.
Is black and red already in traffic light mode?
In any case, there is struggle in the young government alliance. The coalition committee on Wednesday (from 5:30 p.m.) could become a stress test. The top committee of black and red is said to be there to recognize, defuse and clear up impending conflicts as early as possible. Not so easy, given the abundance of acute stimulus and arguments. An overview:
Electricity tax
If you were still amazed at the beginning, you are increasingly acidified in the SPD of acting the coalition partner. Don’t they speak? How resilient are agreements if they are collected shortly afterwards – and publicly?
The reason for the increasing social argument is the vocal demands from the Union to reduce the reduction in electricity tax for all companies and consumers. Due to the budgetary situation, the Federal Government had decided to initially only reduce the lowering for industry, agriculture and forestry.
In the SPD, colleagues’ procedure is acknowledged. Because although the electricity tax decision was also approved by the Chancellor and his CDU cabinet colleague, there is (intentional?) The impression that Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil would give the tough treasurer with which could not be said.
Secretary General Klüssendorf holds it – and now teases back. If a financing for further relief for consumers is found in electricity tax, the SPD is “immediately” there. “But the CDU and CSU must also have the willingness to prioritize their own favorite projects.”
From the Union it can be seen that one could imagine a gradual electricity tax reduction that could be staggered over the years. You could then search for financing options on the route. That can be cheerful.
Citizens’ allowance
Because where the money for the electricity tax reduction for everyone should come from – and in this case the Ministry of Finance would see a need of around 5.4 billion euros in the coming year alone – is still completely unclear. Or?
The CSU chairman Markus Söder has now fed a daring proposal into the heated debate, which at the SPD has a little counter-love: “It cannot be that we have record expenses in the citizens’ allowance and therefore have to postpone other important concerns such as relief in electricity tax,” he said. This is exactly what Bavaria’s prime minister announced that this will be said in the coalition committee. It sounds like a threat.
Appearance: Bärbel Bas. The Minister of Labor and new SPD boss will be there for the first time in the coalition committee-which otherwise consists exclusively of men-and has made her line on the weekend. The basic security is being developed, she said at the SPD party conference, with “proportion and justice”. And: “There will be no social clearing with me!”
Most recently, Bas had made a question mark about savings potential through stricter sanctions. The Union can be heard completely different tones. The costs were “out of hand,” says Union faction leader Jens Spahn. It takes “significant savings,” demands CSU state group leader Alexander Hoffmann.
The pressure from the Union to quickly implement the citizens’ reform agreed in the coalition agreement increases. What will Minister of Labor BAS do?
The new SPD boss was chosen by the comrades with a whopping 95 percent, not least for their anti-“clearing” rhetoric. A strong mandate – but also an order from their comrades to sell themselves expensive.
Mother’s pension
A prestige project for the CSU, but also an election promise, is the expansion of the mother’s pension, which should come according to the previous plans of black and red in early 2028. Party leader Söder now wants to have “significantly faster”, which could only be technically as difficult and complex undertaking. However, the measure is also expensive, an estimated 4.5 billion euros per year.
Which brings us back to the electricity tax reduction and an SPD that apparently cannot free itself from taunts according to the old traffic light manner. SPD chief housekeeper Thorsten Rudolph brings into play against “Politico” to finance the electricity billion by not doing other measures.
“If the Union actually wants to do without consumer expenses in favor of reducing electricity tax, it should first do without its extremely expensive election gifts in gastronomy, agrardiesel and mother’s pension,” said Rudolph. And put it afterwards that he was “already irritated” that parts of the Union apparently want to take on the role of the FDP in the traffic lights and immediately question the coalition compromises “. That is irresponsible.
Source: Stern

I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.