Federal Government: Coalition: Contributing tones in the face of many construction sites

Before the upcoming struggle, top politicians of the black and red coalition strive to prepare important reforms with more conciliatory tones than recently the soil for similarities. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU )’s reputation according to hard social reforms is not publicly overrated in the SPD and only classified as a concession to your own party base. Merz, too, had called for more to each other during his appearance at the CDU state party conference in Lower Saxony at the weekend and expressly addressed this not only to the coalition partner, but also his own party.

What the Social Democrats say

“Merz ‘statements about the welfare state seem to be more mandatory element of a CDU party speech than anything,” said SPD general secretary Tim Klüssendorf of the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” and the “Monday) (Monday). “In reality, he also knows that our welfare state is a central achievement of our democracy and the foundation of the social market economy that has made Germany strong.” It is true that Germany needs economic growth again.

Similarly, the SPD vice-leader chairman Dirk Wiese classifies it. He reported to the Editorial Network Germany, Merz and he had emphasized the similarities of the coalition together at an event in the Sauerland. “Because the external and domestic tasks are great. We are constantly working on this and want to further increase the bar in our working mode in autumn.”

Others in the SPD, such as the Vice Chairman Petra Köpping and Serpil Midyatli, show the Union in the “Bild” newspaper (Monday) more of the warning index finger: “Social democrats have fought a strong welfare state in more than 160 years. We will not be able to reduce that solely on the cash register situation,” said Midyatli.

Merz said on Saturday at the CDU state party conference in Osnabrück: “The welfare state, as we have it today, can no longer be financed with what we do economically.” And: “I will not be irritated by words like social cuts and clearing and what comes.” He deliberately does not make it easy for the Social Democrats. “But the appeal is aimed at all of us: let’s show us together that changes are possible that reforms are possible.”

The parliamentary manager of the CDU/CSU, Steffen Bilger (CDU), is also easy to deal with and emphasizes more than differences. “In all three coalition parties, we know that we have an important task and should take care of solving problems and making the right decisions,” he said in the politico podcast “Berlin Playbook”.

For the SPD claim for tax increases for many earners and wealthy, Merz was differentiated in Osnabrück and only excluded them in a core area: “With this federal government under my leadership, there will be no increase in income tax for medium -sized companies in Germany,” he said – which is at least not a general rejection of any tax increase.

However, CSU boss Markus Söder provided any other considerations. With the CSU there will be “definitely no tax increases,” he said in the ARD summer interview. This is “firstly a pipe crepe, secondly the wrong way, and now, after we have just reduced taxes, everything would break everything again.”

How the Union is preparing

To prepare the upcoming struggle with the Social Democrats, Merz wants to advise on the further list of the announced “autumn of the reforms” with the tips of the Union in the afternoon. In addition, he comes with all Union ministers, the group leader Jens Spahn, CDU general secretary Carsten Linnemann and top people of the CSU in the Chancellery. This said from government circles after the editor -in -chief of Table.media, Michael Bröcker, had first reported. It is about the content issues of the coalition with the SPD and the communication, it said.

On Thursday, the executive board members of both coalition partners come together for a closed conference in Würzburg. For two days, paths to solutions to the upcoming problems are to be sought.

The work of the coalition was – unlike initially promised – recently strongly shaped by the dispute: initially about the failure to reduce electricity tax for everyone, then the occupation of the Federal Constitutional Court and currently above all tax and social policy. The main problem is that the federal and social security expenditure continues to grow and are greater than the real income.

After the end of the summer break, important reform projects are to be tackled. How the sometimes opposing positions of the Union and the SPD should come together is so far unclear. “This will be an exhausting work for us in autumn,” said Merz on Sunday at the open day of the federal government.