The countries expect a new federal government to address the long-standing debt of municipalities, according to Rhineland-Palatinate’s Minister-President Alexander Schweitzer of the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
“Municipalities that have been burdened with new costs through federal legislation over the years urgently need relief” Schweitzer told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. “The new federal government must put this on the agenda immediately. It would also be a stimulus program for the investment capacity of the public hand on the ground.”
Schweitzer, in an interview, also criticized the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) for its potential alliance with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. “The question is whether a government can be formed with Mr. Merz” he said, referring to CDU leader Friedrich Merz. “The Union has a credibility problem, but it now also has a Merz problem.” The democratic parties must form a government as quickly as possible after the federal election, he added. “Mr. Merz has made it extremely difficult for his party to find partners after the federal election. He has broken his word” Schweitzer said.
According to Schweitzer, the success of a government depends on compromise and trust between the coalition partners. “Flexibility in compromise is the key. And the most important currency of a successful government is trust. If it exists, a government can be effective even without detailed agreements. Without trust, even a meticulously formulated coalition agreement is useless” he said.