The German traffic light explorers from the SPD, Greens and FDP are pushing the pace: After a ten-hour marathon session on Monday and a negotiation round lasting several hours yesterday, the teams want to meet again on Friday. A decision should then be made as to whether or not to begin formally coalition negotiations.
The negotiators made their first statement yesterday on the status of the explorations for a possible traffic light coalition. Overall, it was noticeable that optimism prevails. On the one hand, this is due to the numerous overlaps between the parties that have already been found. On the other hand, this is also due to the current state of the CDU and CSU Union parties.
“Can be something good”
“We set out together. And that worked out well,” said SPD General Secretary Lars Klingbeil. However, he is aware that there is “still a long way to go” for the parties. However, he is sure that the three parties can overcome any hurdles together. “I think this can be good,” said Klingbeil in conclusion. Rolf Mützenich, chairman of the SPD parliamentary group, argued in a similar way: “It is developing well.”
The Greens federal manager Michael Kellner also spoke of a good atmosphere during the talks. “The amount of similarities has increased.” The number of differences has decreased. At the same time, like his two colleagues, Kellner said that the three parties would not continue to speak publicly about content, but wanted to maintain confidentiality. The moment of truth is “still ahead of us,” said FDP General Secretary Volker Wissing. “We will evaluate the discussions of the last few days and put down on paper what we can carry together.”
“Proceed step by step”
When asked about the differences in tax and financial policy, Volker Wissing said that one wanted to proceed “step by step”. All three parties emphasized that the explorations do not go into full details.
The rest of the timetable now stipulates that a paper should be available by Friday. On the basis of this, it should then be decided whether formally three-party coalition negotiations are to begin. The bodies of Social Democrats, Greens and Liberals then decide on this agreement in principle.
Today and tomorrow, negotiations will continue in smaller groups. Vice Chancellor, Finance Minister and SPD Chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz will not take part. He is flying to Washington for a few hours to attend the meeting of G20 finance ministers.
Women in the CDU are demanding more say
In the planned reorganization of the German CDU, the women in the party demanded a much greater say. “For years we have had too few women in parliament and in the party. We have to become more, ”said Nadine Schön, the previous deputy head of the Bundestag parliamentary group, yesterday. The 38-year-old, who is regarded as one of the CDU’s hopes for the future, is only moving into the new Bundestag because the current defense minister and former party leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has renounced her mandate.
Annette Widmann-Mauz, chairwoman of the “Frauen Union”, also called for more influence for women: “The repositioning of the CDU in Germany can only succeed in terms of content, personnel and structure with the women in the party,” she told the “RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland” yesterday. .
