The SPD, the Greens and the FDP have started to take stock of their exploratory talks so far. The negotiators of the three parties first met for preliminary discussions on Friday at an exhibition center in western Berlin. In front of the building’s door, a few dozen mostly young activists demonstrated for more climate protection. FDP Vice Wolfgang Kubicki said on his arrival: “I expect that we can tell you this afternoon how things will go from here.”
A paper is expected in the course of the day that summarizes the current state of negotiations. On this basis, the leadership of the three parties could recommend starting coalition negotiations. However, further consultations are also conceivable. Coalition negotiations would be the next step on the way to a traffic light coalition. In contrast to non-binding exploratory talks, all those involved here have a common government firmly in mind. They can still fail.
When asked about possible steps by the SPD, the Greens and the FDP against the current high inflation, Kubicki said that the European Central Bank was asked, which would have to change its policy. Economic institutes anticipate a further increase in inflation by the end of the year and then a decline. However, gas prices have also risen sharply recently. “We have to be careful that the energy costs do not rise immeasurably,” said Kubicki. “And I’m sure the three exploring parties will find a solution.” (15.10.2021)
Union sinks in “Politbarometer” poll below the 20 percent mark
After its historically poor result in the federal election, the Union slipped below the 20 percent mark in a survey. If the Bundestag election were to take place next Sunday, the CDU and CSU would only have 19 percent, as the research group Elections for the ZDF’s “Politbarometer” determined. This is again the worst projection value of the Union in the “Politbarometer” according to ZDF. At the beginning of October, the CDU / CSU were still at 20 percent, in the federal election they had 24.1 percent of the vote.
The SPD would be unchanged at 28 percent. The Greens would have 17, the FDP 13, the AfD 11 and the Left 5 percent. 63 percent of those surveyed expect the Union to remain in its lows for longer.
Three out of four respondents would think it would be good if SPD top candidate Olaf Scholz became chancellor – even 55 percent of the Union supporters surveyed see it that way. 88 percent of those questioned expect that there will be a traffic light government made up of the SPD, the Greens and the FDP. 62 percent think that’s good, 16 percent don’t care and 19 percent think that’s bad. A Jamaica coalition of the Union, Greens and FDP, on the other hand, would find 64 percent bad.
Election polls are generally fraught with uncertainty. In principle, they only reflect the opinion at the time of the survey and are not predictions of the outcome of the election. (15.10.2021)
CDU Vice Breher does not want to become party leader
The deputy CDU chairwoman Silvia Breher rules out running for party chairmanship – because of her family. That is “currently not up for discussion,” she said in one Interview with T-Online. The reason is that her children also have “at least one right” to spend time with her as a mother.
At the same time, Breher criticized the lack of advancement opportunities for women in her party. “Over the years we often had women in top positions who tended to have no children. Ursula von der Leyen was an exception. But many women in the party completely focused on their careers,” said the 48-year-old. “And it just can’t be that you have to decide within the party whether you want a career or children.” That is “partly also the problem of the CDU”. Breher has been in the Bundestag for four years and has been deputy CDU chairwoman for two years.
Breher believes that dual leadership, such as the one among the Greens, the Left Party or the SPD, is also conceivable for the CDU, even if it currently does not see a “majority” for it. The dual leadership can still be discussed: “I am open. It is important that the Union is visible as a team that does not only consist of men from North Rhine-Westphalia – even though they are all competent and good colleagues.” (14.10.2021)
Scholz expects “several billion euros in addition”
SPD chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz assumes after the previous explorations with the Greens and FDP that the desired traffic light coalition will be formed by Christmas. “Everyone has decided to work quickly now,” said Scholz on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund in Washington. Scholz traveled to the conference, which actually lasted a week, despite the ongoing exploratory talks, but he wants to be back in Berlin on Thursday evening, because on Friday it will be announced whether the exploratory talks will become official coalition negotiations.
The explorations would be conducted “in a very, very good and constructive atmosphere,” said Scholz. He therefore assumes that he will already be giving the New Year’s address as Federal Chancellor. “When the government comes into being, everyone will do their job,” said the previous finance minister.
The planned global minimum tax for large companies is very helpful for public finances. 136 countries around the world have agreed to it. Large, internationally active companies should therefore pay at least 15 percent tax from 2023, regardless of their headquarters. In addition, profitable, globally operating digital companies such as Amazon and Google should no longer be taxed only in their mother country, but also where they do good business.
The minimum tax is considered a great international negotiating success for Scholz. The tax authorities will receive “several billions more” per year through this tax. “That is additional income without a tax increase,” said Scholz, referring to the exploratory talks with the Greens and the FDP. The latter has always ruled out tax increases.
In a still unpublished study by the Munich Ifo Institute, reported by the Reuters agency, the additional income is estimated at 4.8 to 5.2 billion euros. In the long term, the institute is even assuming a little more than six billion euros in annual additional income. “Of course that also increases the leeway,” says the finance minister about the income from the minimum tax. However, it is questionable whether these will be enough to finance the extensive relief plans that the exploratory partner FDP would like. (10/13/2021)
Schäuble withdraws from party leadership
Bundestag President Wolfgang Schäuble does not want to stand for the federal executive committee at the planned special party conference of the CDU. “He is not available for a candidacy for the federal executive committee of his party,” said a spokesman for Schäuble. However, the 79-year-old wants to stay in the Bundestag for the full legislative period, in his constituency in Offenburg he had won the direct mandate again in the election. The spokesman said he wanted to see this over the entire electoral term.
After its historic debacle in the federal election, the CDU wants to re-elect the entire federal executive committee at a special party conference. It is unclear whether the party congress will take place in December or, if possible, in January. So far, Schäuble is a member of the CDU Presidium as President of the Bundestag. However, the office will be filled again after the federal elections, as a rule it goes to the strongest parliamentary group in the Bundestag, now the SPD. (10/12/2021)
CDU parliamentary group vice-chairman Schön calls for greater participation by women
The vice-chairman of the Union parliamentary group, Nadine Schön, is of the opinion that women should be more involved in the reorganization of the CDU. “We have had too few women in parliament and party for years. We have to get more,” she said Rheinische Post. It is true that the gender of the future chairman is of secondary importance: it needs someone “who brings the party together and broadens it”. Nevertheless, the party had female chairmen for a long time – that was good for the party, said Schön.
The chairwoman of the Women’s Union, Annette Widmann-Mauz, also thinks: “The repositioning of the CDU in Germany can only succeed in terms of content, personnel and structure with the women in the party.” She told the editorial network Germany (RND). The women’s union is participating in the process that has now been initiated with a conference of female representatives and representatives. This will take place soon. All female members of the CDU belong to the women’s union. (10/12/2021)