Olaf Scholz, new federal chancellor, “the traffic light works”
Germany already has a new coalition and government program for the next four years. Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and Liberals (FDP) presented today the document that seals the agreement to form the first tripartite and an unprecedented alliance at the national level in the history of the Federal Republic, the so-called “Ampelkoalition”, the “semaphore coalition” as they call in this country the conjunction of these three parties because of their traditional colors. The Social Democrat Olaf Scholz will succeed the conservative Angela Merkel in the Federal Chancellery after being sworn in the first week of December. The demand of Los Verdes that the fight against climate change become the axis of the new executive’s policy will be fulfilled. Its co-president, Robert Habeck, will assume the federal vice chancellery and the direction of a super ministry of Economy, Climate Protection and Energy Change created expressly according to their demands. Her partner in the leadership of the environmental party, Annalena Baerbock, will be the next Foreign Minister. FDP President Christian Lindner will succeed Scholz as Finance Minister and will see his great political ambition fulfilled as well.
“The traffic light works,” Scholz said at a press conference when presenting the new government alliance, in which “we are united by faith in progress and the idea that politics can also do good things.” Scholz recalled that the world’s first traffic light came into operation in 1924 at Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz to “put things in order and provide the correct direction” and stressed that “my intention as Federal Chancellor is for this ‘Ampelkoalition’ to play a similar role as guidance for Germany ». The next German head of government began his intervention, however, expressing concern about the “serious situation” of the coronavirus pandemic in Germany and announced that his government will immediately create a permanent crisis cabinet in the Federal Chancellery with a group of advisers. scientists, in addition to promoting the vaccination campaign and approving a premium for health personnel in hospitals and nursing homes that will have a fund of 1,000 million euros.
The talks to form a government have been “constructive and always in search of solutions,” said the next federal chancellor. Habeck, too, was satisfied. “We are on the path of 1.5 degrees,” he commented on the climate objectives of the future executive, who, he said, intends to write a new story of “reconciliation between well-being and climate protection.” Instead of considering more new climate goals, it has been decided to agree on concrete measures, added the environmental leader, while Annalena Baerbock stressed that the tripartite has prepared “the way so that we, as one of the largest industrialized nations in the world, can be climate neutral ». In turn, Lindner assured that Germany will be “the advocate for sound finances” and that the objective of the new coalition is to unleash private initiative, private knowledge and private capital, in addition to having the objective of digitizing the state, improving the education, facilitate social advancement and achieve social political liberalization.
The title of the coalition agreement is an example of the harmony achieved between the three formations. “Daring with more progress: Alliance for freedom, justice and sustainability”, reads the heading of the 177-page document, for which it is more than clear the noun chosen by each party after the colon to describe their contributions to the government pact. In addition to ecological objectives such as reaching climate neutrality by 2045 or bringing the end of the era of coal and combustion vehicles by 2030, the coalition agreement includes raising the minimum wage to 12 euros per hour, legalizing the sale and consumption of cannabis, the introduction of the right to vote from the age of 16 and an «alliance for affordable housing» with the limitation of the rise in rents and the creation of a ministry of the branch that will promote the construction of 400,000 units per year.
The “Ampelkoalition” is also committed to maintaining pensions and the current retirement age of 67 years, but also to the creation of a new system that will feed itself financially, as is already the case in Norway, with the purchase and sale of shares, as well like dedicating 3.5% of GDP to research and development. But they also undertake to facilitate the family reunification of recognized refugees, allowing their direct relatives to travel and reside in this country, to eliminate the term “race” from the German Constitution or to extend the third article of the same with the prohibition of discrimination. by sexual identity.
Position in Europe
In European politics, the tripartite advocates substantial reforms leading to a “constituent convention” and further development until the creation of Federated States of Europe organized in a decentralized manner on the basis of subsidiarity and proportionality and of a charter of fundamental rights. . They also support the strengthening of the European Parliament, the creation of a single electoral law for all member countries and the development of transnational electoral lists. SPD, Greens and FDP also commit to meet NATO’s goal of dedicating 2% of GDP to Defense, they want to modernize the equipment and troops of the “Bundeswehr”, the Federal Army, and contemplate, among other things, the acquisition of armed drones and replace your fleet of Tornado fighter-bombers with a new development.
After eight weeks of the most secretive negotiations held so far for the formation of a government alliance in Germany, the parties of the new “semaphore coalition” also agreed on the division of portfolios, in which the minor partners take several important ministries . The Social Democrats, the party with the most votes in the legislative elections last September, in addition to the Federal Chancellery for Scholz, will have seven ministries, including those of the Interior, Defense and Labor. Five will be for Los Verdes: in addition to those who will lead its two leaders, those of Environment, Agriculture and Family. For their part, the Liberals will have four portfolios: Lindner Finance and Justice, Education and Science and Traffic and Mobility. The agreement has yet to be confirmed by all three parties. SPD and FDP in two extraordinary congresses to be held in the coming days. The Greens through the digital vote of their bases, which will begin tomorrow and end in ten days. We will also have to wait until early December to know the names of the new ministers.
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