NAfter the first talks between two parties to form a new federal government, the first three-way meeting of future coalition partners can take place this week. On Sunday the SPD spoke to the FDP and the Greens one after the other; the Union parties met with the FDP. The CDU and CSU have scheduled a meeting with the Greens on Tuesday morning. FDP General Secretary Volker Wissing indicated the next steps on Monday: The FDP would wait for the meeting between the Greens and the Union parties; afterwards there will be an “internal evaluation”.
The evaluation of the results by the party committees is easy for the Free Democrats insofar as their ten-person negotiating delegation is in fact identical to the party presidium. But it is also conceivable that the exploratory results will be discussed and evaluated in the larger party executive committee. The FDP had already scheduled a board meeting via video link last week to discuss how to proceed.
Draw a line underneath
It is obvious that the Free Democrats and the Greens have an interest in taking the next steps as closely as possible; this results in the consideration that the Greens still have an appointment with the Union on Tuesday. Wissing told the broadcaster ZDF that “a catch between the Greens and the FDP would be the safe way into the grand coalition”. The Federal Managing Director of the Greens Michael Kellner also stated that all scheduled preliminary auditions must have taken place first, then “let’s draw a line under it and see how it goes on”.
The FDP MP Otto Fricke told RTL that the good coordination between the FDP and the Greens should continue to form a basis. As the “next step”, Fricke called a three-way conversation between the possible coalition partners. The FDP MP Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann also emphasized the value of working together with the Greens: “If we come to an agreement, we can also agree on a possible chancellor and thus on the party with which we will join the next four Years, “she told the radio station SWR. It renewed the assessment of the Free Democrats that there are greater similarities with the Union parties; it did, however, limit the fact that the Union was currently very preoccupied with itself. Wissing and Fricke affirmed that the FDP will not abandon its demands in coalition talks that there should be neither tax increases nor an easing of the debt brake.
The federal manager of the Greens Michael Kellner renewed his party’s assessment that the “greatest overlaps” exist with the SPD. Kellner also said that first the talks with the Union parties would have to be held on Tuesday, then “you draw a line under it, and then you see how things go from here”.
The Union emphasizes its closeness to the FDP
SPD General Secretary Lars Klingbeil commented critically on the FDP’s rejection of tax increases. He said on ZDF that it was now “not a question of formulating red lines.” Klingbeil named political demands that were of great importance to the SPD, such as raising the minimum wage to twelve euros, affordable housing and stable pensions.
In the Union meanwhile, in addition to criticism of the Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet and the demand for renewal, there are also attempts to preserve the chances for a coalition with the Greens and the FDP. After the talks between the Union parties and the FDP on Sunday evening, the secretaries-general of the CDU and CSU, Paul Ziemiak and Markus Blume, emphasized the proximity to the FDP in terms of content. Internally, however, the prevailing assessment can be heard that there is little prospect of a Jamaica alliance. It is pointed out that Laschet is a good negotiator and capable of bringing the Greens, FDP and Union together. At the same time, the discussion about his future is growing in intensity. Without even being able to speak of plans, there are considerations in Union circles as to whether explorations and later coalition talks could have a better chance of success if the top figure of the Union were no longer Laschet.
Calls to refrain from personal debates currently fall on moderately fertile ground in the CDU. The chairman of the local political association of the Union, Christian Haase (CDU), told the Reuters news agency, “I advise everyone in the party or the sister party to postpone or stop personal discussions.” But there has long been talk about when and how the search for a successor to CDU chairman Laschet can be organized. It is becoming apparent that the membership survey requested by some about the party leadership will be rejected by others.
Such a survey would not change the fact that the election of the chairman has to take place at a party congress. Organizing this requires advance notice, the loading period is four weeks; a hall has to be found and rented. If it is first to be seen whether the Jamaica talks still have a chance of success, a party conference would hardly be held before the beginning of next year. It could hardly be postponed any longer, the CDU says, since elections will take place in March in Saarland and then in May in North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein. The CDU is currently in power in all three countries and wants to defend its majority. Dispute over the federal presidency is not considered helpful.
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