Coalition negotiations: Working groups present results

The first stage of the coalition negotiations of the Union and SPD is about to be completed. Until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, the joint working groups should deliver the results of their consultations in writing – some have already done this at the weekend.

This material will be sighted and merged in the next few days. Everything that has not yet been reached is to be discussed in the smaller circle in the new week.

There were reportedly larger differences in the working groups on the topics of taxes, social policy and containment of irregular migration. The legalization of abortions required by the SPD was also controversial in the first twelve weeks.

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 so-called 19-year round advises before the coming weekend. In addition to the party leaders, it also includes CDU general secretary Carsten Linnemann and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD). The round speaks above all about how the greatest disagreements could be solved.

It was originally planned that final questions in the first week of April should be finally clarified. The CDU chairman Friedrich Merz has targeted the formation of the planned black and red government by Easter at the latest. Politicians from the SPD also 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 lubricant

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.

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. Speculators are also speculated via a any integration of the Ministry of Development to the Federal Foreign Office.

Bundestag comes together – Presidium posts are occupied

The Bundestag factions clarify important personnel questions much earlier. For example, the election of the parliamentary group chair is scheduled for the Greens. Katharina Dröge and Britta Haßelmann apply again.

In a secret vote, the Greens also decide who should run out of their ranks for the office of Bundestag Vice President. Three well-known MPs have been interested in the post: Former party leader Omid Nouripour, the previous Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt and Claudia Roth, who was Vice President of the Bundestag from 2013 to 2021.

At the Union, it is likely that the faction will nominate the CSU interior politician Andrea Lindholz as a candidate for the office of Vice President. According to a spokeswoman, the SPD also decides on Monday evening who is nominated for the vice post. The spokeswoman did not want to comment on possible names. The left faction had already announced that the former Thuringian Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow nominate for the post.

The AfD also wants to present a candidate on Monday evening. The deputy AfD parliamentary group leader Stefan Keuter told the “Tagesspiegel” that the interested parties had agreed with each other and agreed on Gerold Otten. “The board will forward this proposal to the meeting.” In the past election periods, all AfD candidates for the vice post in the Bundestag missed a majority.

The Bundestag will meet its constituent session on Tuesday. Then there is also the election of the Bundestag Presidium.