For the time being, the last exploratory round: Are the traffic lights within reach?

Can the FDP, SPD and Greens work together? And most of all – do you want? The explorations should be constructive and factual – but little was heard about the content. Today the preliminary decision for the next step could be made.

Are the Greens, FDP and SPD ready for coalition negotiations? This question will possibly be clarified today. The negotiators of the three parties come together in Berlin first for preliminary talks and then for an exploratory round to take stock of the negotiations so far. If successful, they would then recommend their parties to enter into formal coalition negotiations – that is, talks with the clear goal of a joint government. A balance sheet paper of the negotiations was also expected for today.

In order to actually go into the coalition talks, however, a small party congress would have to decide about it at the Greens, which could be convened for the weekend at short notice. As the newspapers of the editorial network Germany reported, citing party circles, the party had already taken organizational precautions. She is said to have reserved an empty hall for Sunday. According to RND, the start has also already been set at 12 p.m. The Federal Political Director of the Greens, Michael Kellner, had previously answered the question of whether a state council was planned for Sunday in the negative. However, he added that one was able to act in the short term.

Sticking points: climate protection, tax and financial policy

At the FDP, party committees would have to decide whether to start coalition talks. According to FDP parliamentary group manager Marco Buschmann, the parliamentary group should also be involved. “In the past, the federal executive board and parliamentary group have always discussed this together, and that will be the case again if we come to a conclusion,” he told the newspapers of the Funke media group. The SPD does not have such an obligation to involve party committees.

While the SPD and the Greens are declared partners of choice, the FDP has long hoped for a coalition led by the CDU / CSU. In view of the leadership chaos in the Union after the defeat in the Bundestag election at the end of September, this is now considered unlikely.

The main sticking points in the search for a joint government program are differences in tax and financial policy and the right path to climate protection.

Green politician Bsirske expects success

The Greens politician and former chairman of the ver.di union, Frank Bsirske, was optimistic about what might be the final round of explorations. “The start was definitely encouraging,” he told the web.de portal. “In the end we have to manage a government that takes several goals very seriously: climate protection, more social justice, a move towards a more libertarian society and more citizen participation,” he emphasized.

Bsirske was newly elected to parliament for the Greens in the federal election. “A coalition on this basis is not a self-indulgence, but there are indications that work is being carried out very seriously,” said the 69-year-old about the traffic light soundings. There are points of contact with the FDP through their commitment to a social market economy.