Coalition talks: The mood is clouding over

The negotiations for the traffic light coalition are entering a decisive phase. But the resentment from the ranks of the Greens is unmistakable. But an iron rule seems to be working.

The alarm bells are ringing with the Greens, with the SPD being dismissed: SPD leader Norbert Walter-Borjans does not deny that the talks about a future traffic light coalition are jerky at one point or another. He said from the start that there would be no “snuggling up” into a coalition, he said. Nevertheless, all partners had discovered so many common bases in these discussions that he was sure that the parties would overcome this jolting. “It cuddles and jerks,” he added.

In contrast, the Greens have recently been increasingly frustrated with the coalition talks. Like that ARD capital studio was confirmed by negotiating circles, they complain that when it comes to climate protection you have to work against the SPD and FDP alone. The Minister of Transport in Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Hermann, even brought new elections into play in the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” if there was no agreement on climate protection.

Doubts about the timetable

By Wednesday at 6 p.m., the individual working groups want to send their result papers to the main negotiators, who will then negotiate the open questions. According to the planned timetable, Olaf Scholz will then be elected Chancellor in St. Nicholas Week. The Greens, however, had recently expressed initial doubts that this schedule could be kept. Probably also to put pressure on the FDP and especially the SPD.

SPD co-chairwoman Saskia Esken now emphasized that they had agreed on a common timetable and wanted to “achieve this from the end”.

There is no further chatting either

While hardly anyone denies the clouding of mood in the coalition talks, only a few substantive details leak out: Like that ARD capital studio was confirmed by the negotiators, they have imposed the rule: If a result is divulged to the media, this issue must be set to zero and renegotiated. At least that seems to work to some extent.