Traffic light talks: SPD, Greens and FDP start the exploratory week

Exploring the government’s course
Traffic light parties start the exploratory week – SPD vice believes in coalition agreement this year

The negotiating teams of the SPD, Greens and FDP now want to set the political course of a possible three-party coalition with new talks. To this end, the representatives of the parties began another round of exploratory meetings in Berlin on Monday, which are preparing an interim conclusion for the weekend. Participants said on Monday that details should now also be discussed in smaller groups. The top representatives of the FDP and the Greens – Christian Lindner and Volker Wissing as well as Robert Habeck and Annalena Baerbock – arrived together. At the beginning of the talks on the grounds of the Berlin trade fairs, climate protectors called for more speed in order to curb global warming.

Kühnert expects a coalition agreement this year

The negotiators did not want to speak publicly until Tuesday. However, the liberals reaffirm fundamental positions beforehand. “The red lines of the FDP are well known: no tax increases and no relaxation of the debt brake of our Basic Law,” said the parliamentary manager of the FDP parliamentary group, Marco Buschmann, the “Spiegel”. Nevertheless, he was optimistic about the chances of a government coalition with the SPD and the Greens. There are still “other areas of friction”, but all three parties are ambitious. “The discussions have to show whether there is frictional energy for a forward impulse. So far everything has been very serious and professional. It is clear to everyone involved: It’s about our country,” said Buschmann.

SPD Vice Kevin Kühnert expects the SPD, Greens and FDP to agree on a coalition agreement this year. “I am very sure of that,” said the former Juso boss on Monday in the ARD “Morgenmagazin”. “The talks have now started well, very trusting. Nothing leaks out. That is an important basis for things to go smoothly.” Kühnert also expects a willingness to compromise in budget and financial policy, one of the biggest sticking points in the traffic light talks. Serious clarification is needed here as to what the state’s income and expenditure situation and a fairer tax system should look like. “There is certainly still a lot to go,” said Kühnert. “I suspect that everyone has to distance themselves to a certain extent from their points of view. That’s just how it is in negotiations in a democracy.”

Robert Habeck: Germany would “go nuts” with another GroKo

Green leader Robert Habeck emphasized the evening before how important it is to succeed in negotiations with the FDP. “Failure is actually not an option,” he said on Sunday evening in the ZDF program “Berlin direkt”. If a coalition of the SPD and the Union were to emerge again, Germany would “go nuts”. “We have to pull ourselves together a bit,” said Habeck. Of course, the finances are a “huge problem”. But you also have to make it clear that there are probably projects that can only really flourish in a coalition with the FDP and the Greens, said Habeck. If the negotiations get stuck, it is worth taking a look “at what is lost if it does not succeed and I think that then holds us together quite well,” said Habeck. Now the “time of the imagination” begins.

In the Berlin fair, there should be in-depth explorations on Monday until the evening without public explanations. Further meetings are announced for Tuesday and Friday. On Wednesday and Thursday, the general secretaries of the parties want to continue working in a small group, while SPD chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz travels to Washington to meet the G20 finance ministers. As to the status of the talks, the representatives of the parties have repeatedly referred to the agreed confidentiality. It is becoming apparent, however, that there may be disputes over taxes, debts and the financing of climate protection measures.

yks
dpa