Coalition talks on the home stretch

The SPD, Greens and FDP want to conclude their negotiations on a traffic light coalition this week. Will the coalition agreement be presented on Wednesday?

Berlin – The coalition negotiations between the SPD, Greens and FDP are heading for the home straight. There is much to suggest that the contract could be ready on Wednesday.

It is true that the main negotiating group of 21 wants to meet again, according to the negotiating circles. The Bundestag members Kevin Kühnert (SPD) and Stefan Gelbhaar (Greens) said at an association meeting on Tuesday, however, that the contract could “probably be presented tomorrow”, that is, on Wednesday.

The traffic light parties had already announced that the contract with the political plans for the next four years should be ready this week. The party leaders sat together again on Tuesday. The incumbent Environment Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) also said: “I can promise you, you will hear about the coalition agreement very quickly.”

At the start of the coalition negotiations, the SPD, Greens and FDP had set the goal that SPD candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz would be elected Chancellor in St. Nicholas Week from December 6th and that his government would be sworn in in the Bundestag. If they want to stick to this schedule, the coalitionists don’t have much time left. The Greens still want to ask their members about the coalition agreement. Party conferences are due for the SPD and FDP.

At the beginning of the week, the general secretaries of the three parties were already busy with “editorial work” and prepared the previous negotiations. In addition to the last content-related issues, the final distribution of the ministerial posts was reportedly pending. Traditionally, these important personal details are clarified at the end of coalition talks.

Lists of names were already circulating at the weekend – but initially they were not officially confirmed. A coalition agreement usually only stipulates which party occupies which ministry – but not who exactly will be the minister. dpa