Official negotiations have commenced for the formation of a government under CDU leader Friedrich Merz following the Bundestag elections on February 23. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Christian Social Union (CSU), and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) have begun formal coalition talks to establish a new administration.
On Thursday evening, 19 key negotiators from the CDU, CSU, and SPD convened at the CDU headquarters in Berlin, along with the heads of 16 working groups. The initial meeting lasted just half an hour. Moving forward, these working groups, each composed of 16 members, will be tasked with drafting proposals for the coalition agreement by March 24. Their work will be based on an eleven-page document that both sides had previously agreed upon during earlier discussions.
The coalition negotiations are taking place under challenging conditions. The “Greens” have yet to reach a central compromise on the multibillion-euro funding for infrastructure and defense. Although they are not expected to be part of the next government, their agreement is necessary for the Bundestag to approve the agreed financial package with a two-thirds majority next Tuesday.
Before the official negotiations began, CDU/CSU and SPD started the process of constitutional amendments in a three-hour debate in the Bundestag. Merz proposed that the “Greens” invest funds from the planned 500 billion euro special infrastructure fund into climate protection and ease the debt brake not just for defense but also for civil defense, civil protection, and intelligence services.
Merz said to the “Greens,” “This would allow us to make a huge leap forward, not only in terms of defense but also in terms of economic competitiveness and climate protection. What else do you want?”
However, the “Greens” swiftly rejected this proposal and sharply criticized how the CDU/CSU and SPD were handling the negotiations. Members from the “Alternative for Germany,” the Left Party, and the Alliance of Sahra Wagenknecht also expressed their opposition to the proposed constitutional amendments.
Once the coalition agreement is finalized, it will need approval from the governing bodies of the three parties involved. The SPD is also planning to conduct a survey among its members before giving its final approval.
