Exploratory talks
Hope for agreement on the weekend
The shortest government formation in the history of the Federal Republic took 23 days. Union and SPD can no longer do that. But it is progressing quickly.
Migration, economic policy, citizen benefit: Union and the SPD still have to clear some disputes before they can accept their coalition negotiations. But there are signals that there could soon be an agreement in the upstream exploratory talks. CDU general secretary Carsten Linnemann said when asked about a possible time: “At the weekend.”
Pictures of the negotiators on the balconies of the Jakob-Kaiser-Haus of the Bundestag testify to a relaxed discussion atmosphere. But be careful: Such harmonious balcony images had already existed in 2017 during the talks about a Jamaica coalition by Union, Greens and FDP. In the end they failed.
There was already a breakthrough
The explorations between the Union and the SPD started exactly a week ago. The aim is to get a fundamental cleaning on the most important topics before going into the detailed negotiations. The result should be a paper with a few pages, which is then the basis for the further conversations.
In the central financial issues, the explorers have achieved a breakthrough on Tuesday with the relaxation of the debt brake and a gigantic special fund for infrastructure. In the Union, one hopes for accommodating the SPD at the main contestation point of migration, but also in other questions.
CDU head of state calls for “real policy change”
“Without a real change of policy in migration, economy and state modernization, there is no automatism for a coalition with the SPD,” said Baden-Württemberg CDU state chief Manuel Hagel. He even threatened to stop the financial package already decided in the Bundestag if the SPD does not look at other points.
Junge Union boss Johannes Winkel had previously called the new debts a “hard blow for generation justice” and called for the “Tagesspiegel” that the Union now had to deliver in migration, economy and pension. The “Spiegel” reported, ex-parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus (CDU), “more than skeptical” had shown himself to be a special fund in a faction meeting.
Merz wants to finish until Easter
Union parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz (CDU) has set itself the goal of completing the coalition negotiations until Easter. The SPD then wants to have the members decided in a vote on the results. Only then can the new government be sworn in.
dpa
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
