Sonding talks: Greens criticize plans from the Union and SPD

The Greens are currently not ready to help the billion-dollar debt package for defense and infrastructure planned by the Union and the SPD. “We are further away from approval than in the last few days,” said co-party leader Felix Banaszak on Saturday in response to the results of the black and red exploratory talks on the formation of a new federal government.

Among other things, Banaszak criticized that the “financing of climate protection does not matter at all.” His co-party leader Franziska Brantner added: “Adding everything with money, lending the election promises, not tackling any structural reforms, is poison for our country.” The decisions of the Union and SPD also remained far behind the expectations of the issues of business and Europe. Such a policy leads back to standstill, said Brantner. “And that is what brings us away from every consent.”

However, the Greens are still ready to negotiate. Negotiators are the co-parliamentary group bosses Britta Haßelmann and Katharina Dröge, who had met twice with the probes from the Union and the SPD in the past week. “We are told that we are negotiating additional infrastructure money, about our defense ability, for consistent measures for climate protection,” said Brantner.

Union and SPD need the consent of the Greens to change the basic law for a 500 billion euro debt pot and for loosening the debt brake. The Bundestag is said to decide this in an old composition before the newly elected Bundestag meets on March 25th to its first session. In the new parliament, AfD and Linke can prevent the required two-thirds majority.

Banaszak and Brantner also criticized the fact that Union Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz always rejected demands of the Greens after the debt brake was loosened and criticized them sharply, but now wanted their approval to his course turn.

Banaszak spoke of a question: “Usually it is the case if all my promises build on the fact that a third party agrees, I may talk to the third before I inform the public about what I was going to do,” said the co-party leader. “Style should not be underestimated in politics. Friedrich Merz still has a lot of room for improvement.”