D.he Green top has admitted mistakes in the coalition negotiations with the SPD and FDP on climate protection. “In some places, the exploratory paper unfortunately still lacks the necessary clarity,” said a letter from the entire party and parliamentary group leadership to eight environmental associations that was available to the Reuters news agency. “Here we will use the negotiations that are now beginning at the technical level in order to achieve what is necessary in our common interest.”
A lot still needs to be done in the talks, especially when it comes to protecting the climate and biodiversity. “It would be very helpful for this – and in parts you are already on it – if you could work towards the SPD and FDP making ambitious proposals here,” asks the Green leadership. “If we have to continue to do this alone, it will make the negotiations enormously difficult.” Previously, the Reuters news agency had reported that there was massive anger within the Greens over the climate section of the exploratory paper.
Greens boss Annalena Baerbock spoke on Friday in the RBB’s information radio about “crucial adjusting screws”, in which the traffic light negotiators “have not yet reached the point where we can put the lid on”. Whether the Greens, SPD and FDP will be able to negotiate a coalition agreement by the end of November as planned is still open. “This renewal of the country should take effect in the next four years. And now four days more or less do not matter in the talks. “
All developments in the live ticker:
10:50 am – Anti-Semitism officer calls for clearer guidelines for the judiciary
The Federal Government’s Commissioner for Anti-Semitism has called for the federal states to take more consistent legal action against criminals with allegedly anti-Semitic motives. “The inconsistent legal situation in the countries makes it difficult to take a uniform approach in the fight against anti-Semitism,” said Felix Klein to the editorial network in Germany (Friday editions). In the case of anti-Semitic crimes, the prosecution should not depend on whether the injured party files a criminal complaint or in which federal state the perpetrator lives.
Klein referred to an analysis by the German Association of Judges, according to which regulations now apply in only nine out of 16 federal states, according to which proceedings for anti-Semitic crimes should not be discontinued even in the event of minor guilt. Two are still examining this, five countries are foregoing it.
10:14 am – City Association calls for “Ampel” to invest more in local transport
The German Association of Cities calls for a future traffic light coalition to invest more in local public transport. “For a sustainable transport turnaround, we need attractive local public transport in the cities, but also good connections to the surrounding area,” said City Council President Burkhard Jung to the Funke newspapers on Friday. “We can only do that with modern buses and trains and more frequent journeys.” Here the coalition partners would have to agree on a real investment offensive.
The federal government must contribute even more to the investment costs, but also to the operating costs for local transport. Specifically, Jung called for federal regionalization funds for buses and trains to be increased by a further 1.5 billion euros from the current nine billion euros annually. In addition, planning and approval processes would have to become faster. “Sustainable mobility is a decisive factor in achieving the climate targets,” said the President of the City Council.
10:13 am – Bodo Ramelow on changed expectations of politicians in crises
Thuringia’s Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow said on Friday in his inaugural speech as the new President of the Federal Council: “We politicians always have a confident smile on our faces in such situations. We have resolute words on our lips and knock on our pockets. In that – or so we claim at least – there is at least one finished plan, if not several at the same time. My experience is that this attitude is no longer appropriate. In times of change, success and solidarity depend on many bridge builders. “
9:51 a.m. – NRW party leader Kutschaty wants to become SPD federal deputy
The North Rhine-Westphalian SPD party and parliamentary group leader Thomas Kutschaty wants to run for the office of deputy party chairman at the federal party conference of the Social Democrats in December. The SPD general secretary Nadja Lüders confirmed on Friday the German press agency. North Rhine-Westphalia must play a “major role” with the strongest SPD state association at the federal level, said Lüders.
After the resignation of the SPD federal party leader Norbert Walter-Borjans from NRW, it was important for the local SPD to continue to play a strong role in the federal executive board, according to the “Neue Westfälische” from the party leadership. Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil had previously announced that he would run again for the office as one of several vice-party leaders.
8:08 a.m. – Dreyer: It is normal for coalition negotiations to stutter
The Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, Malu Dreyer, expressed herself “very confidently” that the coalition negotiations in the federal government with the Greens and the FDP will continue positively. “It is quite normal for one or the other party to be more satisfied or dissatisfied during negotiations. That depends a bit on which working group you are looking at, ”said the SPD politician on Friday morning in the ZDF“ morning magazine ”.
The Greens expressed their dissatisfaction on Thursday. “We are currently seeing too little progress in terms of the substance of the content,” said Federal Managing Director Michael Kellner of the German Press Agency. In view of the faltering talks, contrary to what was expected, no further detailed schedule was announced.
5:30 a.m. – First big row between Union faction and traffic light coalitionaries
A few days before the first working session of the new Bundestag there is the first massive dispute between the Union parliamentary group and the future traffic light parliamentary groups of the SPD, Greens and FDP. “Although the traffic light coalition is only just about to form, it already smells of arrogance in power politics,” said the parliamentary manager of the Union faction in the Bundestag, Michael Grosse-Brömer (CDU), of the German Press Agency in Berlin. The dispute revolves around how many MPs each parliamentary group sends to the so-called main committee.
The traffic light groups want the committee to have 31 members. Accordingly, the SPD should send 9 MPs, the Union 8, Greens 5, FDP 4, AfD 3 and the Left 2. That is not enough for the CDU / CSU. The Union parliamentary group demands at least 39 members: SPD and Union 11, Greens 6, FDP 5, AfD 4, Linke 2. In each of the previous two election periods, the main committee had 47 members.
4:00 a.m. – For medium-sized companies, the Federal Environment Agency has lost touch with the reality of life
The Federal Association of Medium-Sized Enterprises has described the Federal Environment Agency’s proposals for more climate protection in transport as a “horror catalog”. Federal Managing Director Markus Jerger told the German Press Agency: “Anyone who demands higher fuel prices, the abolition of the commuter allowance and a car toll in the same breath has lost all reference to the reality of the hard-working people in our country. You cannot deprive millions of people of their mobility basis and only then start thinking about alternative offers. “
The explosion in mobility costs promoted by the Federal Environment Agency hits commuters who have to get their jobs in rural regions just as hard as families who live on the outskirts of cities because they can no longer afford the rents in the city centers. “The proposal to abolish the commuter allowance without replacement is tantamount to a frontal attack on medium-sized businesses and their employees,” said Jerger. The Federal Environment Agency has spoken out in favor of drastic measures so that the climate targets in the transport sector can be achieved. This includes a higher CO2 price, which would mean rising gasoline and diesel prices – in return, however, there should be compensation. The Federal Environment Agency also proposes, for example, abolishing the commuter allowance and massively expanding local transport with buses and trains. Without massive efforts, climate targets in transport cannot be achieved.
02:00 a.m. – SPD women’s organization: Woman should follow Klingbeil
The women in the SPD are demanding that the post of general secretary be filled with a woman if the current incumbent, Lars Klingbeil, should run for party chairmanship. Klingbeil and party leader Saskia Esken could “form a very good double leadership”, said Maria Noichl, chairwoman of the Working Group of Social Democratic Women (ARSP), of the “Rheinische Post”. “His office as general secretary should then go back to a woman. Parity starts at the top, and there are many talented women who, as general secretary, could represent the SPD externally, ”said Noichl.
Juso boss Jessica Rosenthal warned that the future SPD leadership must “develop the party programmatically outside of government activities”. It takes courage, said Rosenthal to the newspapers of the Funke media group (Friday). You can’t do this alone or in pairs, but only in a team. At the same time, she called for the younger generation to be adequately represented in the party leadership. “Regardless of the composition of the party chairmen, I have a clear requirement as the Juso chairman: We want to be represented as Jusos in the closest party leadership,” emphasized Rosenthal.
In the “Politics kick-off” you will find out every morning what will be important today. Subscribe to the podcast at, among others Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or directly via RSS feed.