Coalition: Coalition negotiations on the home stretch

At the coalition negotiations, the CDU, CSU and SPD bend the home straight – and it can still be exhausting. The main negotiators continue their talks on Monday. There are still many sticking points. That is the stand:

The Saarland Prime Minister Anke Rehlinger (SPD) said on Friday in ARD what it was in sports: the last forces would have to be mobilized on the home stretch. Rehlinger belongs to the “19er group”. These are the main negotiators of the CDU, CSU and SPD. They advise on the results of the 16 working groups – there were many matches, but also many open points. CSU state group leader Alexander Dobrindt spoke of the “Clearing phase” after negotiations on Saturday at the SPD headquarters.

The top round should come together again on Monday evening, this time at the CDU headquarters. Dobrindt said, before the big round came together on Monday evening, there were even smaller rounds that were used as “problem -solving rounds”.

Is there a new government until Easter?

The expected new Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) originally aimed to form a new government by Easter at the latest. Easter is in less than three weeks. In order to do this, there should be an agreement in the upcoming week. Because the SPD has announced that after an agreement with the Union on a coalition agreement, its members have decided its members about it within ten days. Merz and SPD boss Lars Klingbeil had recently emphasized that thoroughness is going to speed. So it seems questionable whether the coalition agreement is up to Easter – also because there are still big chunks.

Finances are among the biggest sticking points. In the federal budget in 2025 and the financial planning of the coming years, billion dollars are already gaping – although the loosening of the scope opened up new scope for defense. The 500 billion-euro special assets for infrastructure and climate protection should be additional investments.

“We will have to save extensively,” said CDU boss Friedrich Merz. In addition to the financial planning for the federal budget, the focus of the possible new government was the containment of the irregular migration and the competitiveness of the economy. The economy is in a crisis after two years of recession. Associations make pressure and demand extensive reforms.

In the coalition negotiations, there are already plans for new billions of bills. In this way, an expansion of the mother’s pension was decided in the exploratory paper, the CSU insisted on that. In addition, billions of bills were promised to be relieved of electricity prices and an increase in the commuter flat rate.

A reduction in corporate taxes would also cost a lot. However, this is still controversial, as well as relief in income tax – the SPD wants to increase the top tax rate in return, the Union is transferred.

There are also controversial suggestions from the working groups. Example: In the Family AG, the SPD for free lunch for children in daycare centers and schools – cost according to paper per year: 11 billion euros. The Union rejects this.

Merz said on Friday that he had the feeling that the heading was in some working groups: “Wish you something”. And further: “This will now be our job to reduce it to the possible level.”

There are also large savings potential. A change in the power grid expansion away from earth cables to outdoor lines would save billions of costs, as it is called in a paper. In addition, a reform of the citizens’ allowance from the Union’s perspective could also provide billions of bills.

In migration policy, the rejection of asylum seekers at the borders is a main quantity. The exploratory paper says that this should be possible “in coordination with our European neighbors”. However, the opinions between the Union and the SPD diverge whether this means that neighboring states should only be informed about this procedure or have to agree.

Other sticking points include: should there be a new purchase bonus for electric cars? Should the suspension of compulsory military service be canceled? How specifically should the pension level be secured? CDU, CSU and SPD still have to solve many open questions.