Bundestag election: Merz wants government to Easter – SPD sorts itself

Union Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz strives for a quick discussions with the SPD about the formation of a new federal government after his election victory. He was “determined to have constructive, good, rapid conversations with the Social Democrats,” he said after meetings of the CDU top committees. This should be able to form a government “about Easter”. But the inferior SPD first has to clarify its personnel questions and tries to shake Merz ‘self -certainty.

The CDU chief called three topics that should be discussed prioritarian- migration policy, economic policy as well as foreign and security policy. Despite the difficult starting point, he was confident.

Klingbeil: Government participation of the SPD still open

The SPD chairman Lars Klingbeil dampened the optimism of the CDU chairman. “It is not clear whether the SPD will enter a government. These are decisions that will be made in the next few weeks and months,” he said. The SPD wants to have its members decide on a possible government participation.

Klingbeil wants to stay party leader and run for the parliamentary group on Wednesday. Co-party leader Saskia Esken also wants to keep her post. She worked with great joy in the unity of the party for more than five years, said Esken – “and I intend to do that further.” Olaf Scholz (SPD), who has again won a direct mandate in Potsdam, wants to remain a member of MPs after his time as Chancellor.

With Scholz as a candidate for chancellor, the SPD brought in a historically bad result of 16.4 percent in the election on Sunday. According to the preliminary result, the CDU and CSU received 28.5 percent of the votes.

Other leading politicians from the three former traffic light partners, meanwhile, drew personal consequences. “I will not claim or strive for a leading role in the Greens’ Personnel Table,” said Greens Chancellor candidate Robert Habeck. The party of the Minister of Economy was sagged to 11.6 percent (2021: 14.7). Annalena Baerbock and Katharina Dröge are traded as a new leadership duo for the Green Group.

Kubicki feels called

After the devastating election defeat of the FDP, which flew from the Bundestag with 4.3 percent, party vice -outskin Wolfgang Kubicki arises for a successor to chairman Christian Lindner. “I was asked by so many people from the party and supporters tonight to take over the leadership of the party so that I seriously think about running in May to keep the party together and motivate them,” wrote the 72- Years on the short messages of the short messages X.

FDP boss Lindner had already announced his retreat when it was evident that the free Democrats would remain below five percent. On Monday, the designated general secretary Marco Buschmann also withdrew from his post.

Weidel and Chrupalla want to continue together

AfD top candidate Alice Weidel and her co-party leader Tino Chrupalla would also like to continue to lead the AfD parliamentary group, as both made it clear. The new faction will come together for the first time on Tuesday and will vote on it. The party doubled its result from 2021 to 20.8 percent. In all East German federal states with the exception of Berlin, it became the strongest strength – but also in Kaiserslautern and Gelsenkirchen.

Dispute of rejections at the borders

Meanwhile, Merz confirmed his demand for extensive rejections at the German borders. However, these should be limited, he added. He hoped that the agreed reform of EU asylum policy will come to common solutions from 2026. But: “We can’t wait until then.”

Greens suggest rapid reform of the debt brake

With regard to the further support of Ukraine in their defense against Russia, the Greens spoke out for the old Bundestag to decide on a reform of the debt brake. Merz left open: “Our considerations for this are not completed.” A two-thirds majority is required for a reform of the debt brake anchored in the Basic Law or the possible establishment of a special fund for Ukraine aids. In the new Bundestag, AfD and Linke have just more than a third of the seats. They have a so -called blocking minority.

Left Party: We do not leave the AfD to the East

The left announced that its goal was to systematically push the AfD back in East Germany with social politics and voters. “We will not leave the east to you,” said party leader Ines Schwerdtner. The left received 8.8 percent of the votes and was able to convince many young voters.

The BSW had failed close to the five percent hurdle in the Bundestag election. Now the party leaders are considering a review of the 4.97 percent results. She sees a possible legal handle because the eligible voters abroad could not have given up their voice due to short deadlines. However, the co-director of the Düsseldorf Institute for Party Law, Sophie Schönberger, considers a lawsuit as hopeless: there was no constitutional claim for postal voting, she said in the “ZEIT”.