A new chancellor for Christmas. Negotiations between the three German social democratic, environmental and liberal parties are advancing to form the new German government. “We are very ambitious and we want to have a (coalition) contract for the end of November which will allow us to elect a chancellor for the Federal Republic of Germany in the week of December 6 (…)”, declared Thursday during ‘a joint press conference Volker Wissing, general secretary of the liberal FDP party.
The three formations, with very different programs, have been leading discussions since the beginning of October in an attempt to form an unprecedented coalition, without the conservatives of Angela Merkel who recorded the worst score in their history during the legislative elections of September 26. Last Friday, they laid the foundations for their future alliance by presenting a 12-page government pre-agreement summarizing their points of agreement and the reforms they intend to carry out in the next four years.
Compromises found, but still subjects to settle
Among the compromises found: no tax increase, compliance with debt limits, an exit target for coal advanced to 2030, an increase in the minimum hourly wage to 12 euros.
However, many subjects remain to be resolved in order to define the roadmap of a future government, in particular on how to finance the massive investments demanded by the Greens and the SPD while the liberals are showing uncompromising respect for budgetary constraints. Ecologists and FDP have also started a weapon pass in the media, each claiming the key ministerial portfolio of Finance.
22 working groups to establish the government program
Volker Wissing detailed Friday, with his counterparts from the SPD, Lars Klingbeil, and “Grünen”, Michael Kellner, the schedule of future meetings. The political experts of the three parties will be divided into 22 working groups to deepen this government program then will meet almost daily to arrive at a synthesis by November 10.
“We will demand a lot from the working groups, concentrated work, a lot of commitment and presence, because we are very ambitious”, explained Volker Wissing, whose small liberal party which came in fourth position during the legislative elections acts as “maker of kings ”.
An ambitious schedule
The main officials of the three parties will then take the hand to finalize the document with the aim of reaching a final agreement at the end of November. Each party will then have to validate it, during a special congress for the FDP and an online vote with the members for the ecologists.
It will then be up to parliament to officially elect the Social Democrat Olaf Scholz, current Minister of Finance, to succeed Angela Merkel in the chancellery. This early December date to form the first post-Merkel government is ambitious, recognized the three parties that had so far promised to form the next executive by Christmas.