When does the new government stand?
Photos were actually forbidden. « No statements, no press conferences, no communication between interim results, no selfies etc. », Union and prescribed themselves SPD in a paper titled as « handout on the coalition negotiations 2025 ». At least some negotiators have already rejected this plan. Jochen Ott (SPD) only posted a photo of the differently colorful socks of his negotiating colleagues on Instagram on Friday and then later laid a selfie and that CDUPolitician Nathanel Liminski (CDU) after. « Since we negotiate in different working groups and are no longer in Berlin, the selfie ban will hopefully not apply to this snapshot from Cologne, » the two wrote. The excitement was limited. At least that does not seem to fail.
The Union warns of the « change of politics »
No, the issues are somewhere else. CDU general secretary Carsten Linnemann was emphasized in Berlin on Monday-what he heard from the 16 working groups, was encouraging, he said. « At the same time there are obviously dissent points ». Linnemann spoke of a change of policy that Germany now needs. And made it clear where this change of policy had to take place: in economic policy, in migration, « but also in the social, keyword: citizen money ». This can certainly be understood as a message to the SPD’s negotiating partners. The Social Democrats called Linnemann only emphasized « possible » coalition partners. And put it in the direction of the Chancellor party: « People have not continued to choose ». After all, the Union would have with the debt package already a « very, very high loan ». And warned: « But the other side of the medal has to follow now. Otherwise, that a lot of money will be of no use. »
It didn’t sound like unity yet. After all, the first stage is done. By Monday afternoon, 5 p.m., the working groups have submitted their concepts for the coalition agreement. In the coming days, the 19-member control group will advise the party leader and general secretaries about the concrete design of the coalition agreement. You should now clear these food points, as Carsten Linnemann calls her.
Specifically, the biggest hurdles are as follows: The SPD wants to tax wealthy and high earners more, the Union rejects. Conversely, the SPD is against lower taxes for companies. In migration, one continues to disagree whether asylum seekers should also be rejected if the neighboring countries do not participate. And the Social Democrats do not want to allow the Union to abolish one of the SPD’s central achievements in the traffic lights.
Carsten Linnemann dampens the expectations for a quick agreement
The coalitioners went out of their way to leave no doubt about the talks on Monday. Central topics have not been negotiated in « working groups or sub-work groups » in the past, said NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU), for example. I think that « fundamental changes, as we need them, are negotiated in the chief round, is not surprising. »
Nevertheless, the Union tries to dampen too high expectations. A thoroughly elaborated coalition agreement is more important than speed. Or as Carsten Linnemann put it, who was in a metaphor mood on Monday: « If the coat is incorrectly buttoned down, then you will no longer get it above. »
In the direction of the journalists in the Konrad-Adenauer-Haus, he said: « We cannot be put under pressure. » It was the Union itself that had built this pressure with an ambitious schedule. Until Easter, the Union stated that the new government should be. In the first week of April at the latest, final questions would have to be clarified. In the end, the negotiators sounded less optimistic.
And not only the negotiators, but also the population. The Union has recently dropped in the surveys. Linnemann tried to dampen pessimism. And referred to the German national team twice. First, he warned against badly bad the coalition. After the round of 16 against Algeria in 2014, the national team was also criticized and later Germany became world champion. Secondly, Linnemann quoted national coach Julian Nagelsmann: « We only talk about problems and no longer about solutions ». At least the national team is on the road to success.
