Coalition: Schwarz-Rot is looking for the “Spirit of Würzburg”

A walk to the historical main bridge, a common Franconian wine: After the bumpy start of the black and red alliance with a lot of arguments and some breakdowns, the tops of the coalition fractions want to create a better basis for government work – also humanly. “The spirit of Würzburg, the good, was already felt on the bridge,” said Union faction leader Jens Spahn (CDU) at the start of a two -day exam in the Franconian city. More team spirit should be found in the next few weeks before difficult reform projects.

SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch and the CSU national group leader Alexander Hoffmann as hosts also demonstratively emphasized that it should run rounder after the end of the summer break. However, only after certain clarifications. The time will take the time to talk to each other to avoid mistakes in the future, said Miersch – and also that “something like that” as in the election of the constitution no longer happened.

Clarification of the burst judge election

The judge election in the Bundestag, which failed shortly before the summer break, triggered difficult frustration at the SPD. She burst because Spahn could no longer guarantee the Union’s approval as SPD candidate Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf. “This open pronunciation is the basic prerequisite for the fact that we can then tackle the big things,” emphasized Miersch. Spahn said to the cameras: “We regret that we started the summer break. That would have been better that it should have been going differently.”

As after Brosius-Gersdorf’s waiver of a new attempt in autumn, a test becomes a test. This should not be an issue directly in Würzburg, as Miersch made clear. The parliamentary groups want to set up together, especially for several larger projects: from struggles around the budget 2025 and 2026 to difficult social reforms, for example in the case of citizenship. For this purpose, majorities in the Bundestag should also be secured.

Germany “must, will and will” go to defense

The coalition politicians focus on defense and security policy. They invited NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte to the meeting as a guest – “a sign of the times we live in,” said Spahn. It is the most dangerous times since the end of the Cold War. Spahn said next to Rutte: “Only a strong, also militarily strong Europe can be safe. Germany has to, will and wants to go a difference, make a difference and make its contribution.”

CSU man Hoffmann compared the exam in his hometown near his constituency with a training camp for football teams. If you take time for team building and then go to the next tournament with some time, be it more successful. That should be the spirit to start powerfully in an “autumn of reforms”. Miersch told how passers -by asked her the evening before when I went to the hotel and said: “You have to get it.” Spahn translated this for the coalition as follows: “We are obliged to success.”

Difficult projects in autumn

Black and red discussions about more or less hard cuts in the citizens’ allowance have already started. Miersch said the intersections were sufficient to get to social state reforms. However, the promise that you can continue to rely on the welfare state applies. Spahn pointed out the basic features that are in the coalition agreement and named as a principle: “Whoever can work should work.” Hoffmann said the reform would not measure how deep cuts are, but more efficiency.

How well the “Spirit of Würzburg” bears will soon be shown in Berlin. With the parliamentary group exam, the coalition made a small tradition. Already in 2018, after the start of the predecessor “Groko”, Alexander Dobrindt, as CSU national group leader, invited to such a conference to the 2,962 meter high Zugspitze, where he has his constituency. And there was also a “spirit of the Zugspitze”. Miersch said that a meeting in this form was not managed in the traffic light coalition with Greens and FDP. And the next edition should then be in his home country – in Lower Saxony.