Formation of a government in Thuringia: This is the Erfurt peace formula

After the SPD and BSW announced the breakthrough in the exploratory talks in Brandenburg on Monday morning, the CDU, BSW and SPD followed up in Thuringia in the afternoon. They want to appear before the press in Erfurt at 4 p.m.

There was particular debate over the preamble to a possible coalition agreement. Now there is an agreement. In the two-page letter that… star is available, it says: “As the future government of the Free State of Thuringia, we are united by the will for peace in Europe. We take seriously the concerns and fears of our citizens that there is war in Europe and Germany could be drawn into it.”

This is followed by a commitment to the European peace order and a no to any attempts to use military means to move borders. This is followed by the sentence: “Within the framework of the European and federal order, we support all diplomatic initiatives to end the war of aggression unleashed by Russia against Ukraine.” The passage reads more critically towards Russia than a paper that the BSW and the SPD in Brandenburg had agreed on. There is talk of a “war that violates international law” and “the parties to the conflict in Ukraine”.

The potential partners in Thuringia then identify their differences. “The CDU and SPD see themselves in the tradition of ties to the West and Eastern policy,” it says. “The BSW stands for an uncompromising peace course.” The differences are intended to be bridged by this long sentence, which is reminiscent of the Brandenburg paper: “Although we have different opinions regarding the necessity of supplying arms to Ukraine to defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty, we are united by the goal of a diplomatic solution to the war against Ukraine and to promote the reduction of related tensions within Europe with the aim of a ceasefire and a just, lasting peace in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the Budapest Memorandum.”

Unlike the SPD and BSW in Potsdam, the Thuringian parties do not express any opposition to the stationing of US medium-range weapons in Germany. Instead, there is even a commitment to ties to the West: “As a German federal state, Thuringia is embedded in a common European security architecture. We agree that our country’s defense capability is of great importance for peace and security in Germany and Europe.”

The criticism of the stationing of US missiles is packaged: “We also recognize that many people in Thuringia are critical of or reject the planned stationing of medium-range and hypersonic missiles.” The future government of the Free State of Thuringia therefore wants to promote “a broad debate” on this.

The CDU, BSW and SPD have been exploring in Thuringia for weeks whether there is enough overlap for a common coalition. A joint exploratory paper was decided more than a week ago. However, BSW chairwoman Sahra Wagenknecht was bothered by this and the negotiations were in jeopardy.

Coalition negotiations can now begin in Thuringia, at least if there is no further interference from the federal parties. The CDU state chairman Mario Voigt wants to be elected as the new Prime Minister of the Free State at the head of the possible coalition.