Bundestag: First stage of the coalition negotiations before the conclusion

On their way to a coalition agreement, the negotiation teams from the CDU, CSU and SPD have identified further joint projects and controversial points. The biggest differences were in the negotiations of the working groups, some of which lasted until Sunday, to be steered in reporting, social policy and contain the irregular migration. Among other things, the legalization of abortions required by the SPD in the first twelve weeks was controversial.

Everything that has not yet reached unity is to be discussed in the smaller circle in the new week. In this round, negotiations should also be made about the right to vote that the Union wants to change again.

At least in the target description, the group agreed, which dealt with state modernization and reduction in bureaucracy. According to participant circles, general unity also exists in terms of the need to reform the Federal Police Act, to create a legally secure obligation to store IP addresses and – as required by the European Union – to determine measures to protect facilities of the critical infrastructure.

The working groups deliver the result of their consultations in writing until this Monday, 5 p.m. Some of them have already done this. This material will be sighted and merged in the next few days, and before the weekend the so-called 19 round, which, in addition to the party leaders, also advises CDU general secretary Carsten Linnemann and SPD defense minister Boris Pistorius. The round speaks, for example, about how the greatest disagreements could be dissolved and what is returned to the experts on this basis for how to work out the details. It was originally planned that final questions in the first week of April are finally clarified. The CDU chairman Friedrich Merz has targeted government formation by Easter at the latest, and politicians from the SPD have recently warned pace. However, some now think of the Union that you should not weaken your own negotiating position through a rigid time specification.

Debt as a lubricant for a coalition

With the consent of the Greens, the Union and SPD have got additional financial scope for the coming years. How this should be used – apart from investments in defense, cyber security, civil protection and climate protection – is controversial among the coalitioners. The question of how the tax relief should look concrete has not yet been clarified. The exploratory package only includes: “We will relieve the wide middle class through an income tax reform” and “We will get into a corporate tax reform in the upcoming legislative period.”

Bundestag and the Federal Council had cleared the way for a financial package with which billions of bills in defense and infrastructure can be invested via new debts. In addition, a special fund is created, for which the debt brake does not apply and which is fed up to 500 billion euros with loans. The repair of the infrastructure is to be paid from this. 100 billion euros are to go to the federal states, another 100 billion euros should flow into climate protection and the climate -friendly conversion of the economy.

What is possible to reduce irregular migration to Germany, and what is not, is still controversial between the CDU, CSU and SPD.

Shadows hang over the negotiations

In addition to rule, the negotiators also drift the goal of preventing a further rise from the AfD. The party, which the protection of the constitution classifies as a suspicion in the right -wing extremist spectrum, had received 20.8 percent of the second votes in the Bundestag election on February 23 and thus doubled its result compared to 2021.

The pressure on the negotiating partners is also reinforced by the uncertainty that the Course change of the US government under President Donald Trump has triggered. This affects, among other things, the export-oriented German economy, defense and foreign policy issues as well as the influence of social media.

SPD general secretary Matthias Miersch considers investments in the educational infrastructure in Germany to be priority. When asked which construction sites he would give money from the new special debt pot, he said the “Bild am Sonntag”: “We have to prioritize now. It has to be decided in the coalition. But the education infrastructure is an elementary point.”

Miersch continued that he was “definitely for an incentive to buy” for e-cars. “Especially for people who cannot simply buy a new car like this. In addition to the purchase bonus, there is also the possibility of leasing. We will have to be in the coalition talks.”

At the end it is about ministries and personal details

Only when the content of the content has largely been clarified should it be decided how the future cut of the ministries looks and which party may occupy which post. Is there an independent Ministry of Construction in the future? Before 2021, construction policy was the responsibility of the Federal Ministry of the Interior, before that at the environmental department.

Speculators are also speculated via a any integration of the Ministry of Development to the Federal Foreign Office. And should there really be a new Digital Ministry, or does the Chancellery take care of it?

So far, only the Union has only provides the Union by sending ex-Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner as a candidate for the office of Bundestag president. Andrea Lindholz (CSU), who also negotiates internal security and migration in the coalition negotiations, is said to be acted as a Bundestag Vice President.