BERLIN COALITION TALKS ENTER FINAL WEEK, POSSIBLE ‘GRANDE KOALITION’ ANNOUNCEMENT IMMINENT
Coalition talks between the German Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) have reportedly entered their final week in Berlin, with a possible announcement of a ‘Grande Coalition’ imminent. According to sources, the parties aim to finalize their last outstanding issues and sign the coalition agreement by the middle of the week.
Meanwhile, criticism of CDU’s negotiation chief Friedrich Merz is growing within the party, with some members expressing concerns that the CDU’s signature is still missing from the agreement. The head of the Union’s youth wing (JU) has warned that if Merz bends to the SPD, the CDU is “insolvent”.
Many rumors, little concrete information and a focus on “the right path” summarize the current status of the ongoing coalition talks. Over the weekend, unnamed negotiators reportedly promised that the CDU and SPD would “wrap up their last contentious issues” and finalize the coalition agreement by the middle of the week.
Possible sticking points remain in the ring of negotiations. According to the Table Media portal, the agreement will be presented in a “calm, serious and appropriate” framework, with the SPD’s base given two and a half weeks to confirm the agreement. The CDU plans to hold a small party meeting, with the agreement potentially being signed in late April or early May.
The Berliner Zeitung summarizes the talks’ progress, stating that voices within the CDU are growing louder in criticizing Merz, with the SPD seemingly getting the upper hand, reminiscent of the Red-Green coalition.
Recent opinion polls, showing the Alternative for Germany (AfD) on par with the CDU, have caused unease, with a western JU group speaking of “great concern” and “growing discontent”, explaining that what is being heard from Berlin is a “political disaster” and a “great disappointment” for many party base members.
In an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung, JU chairman Johannes Winkel warned that if the CDU does not deliver on its promised policy shift, the party is “insolvent”. Winkel also expressed his expectations for the upcoming meeting with Merz, stating that the CDU must deliver on its promises, as the people expect a policy shift. If not, the country will suffer significant damage and a government with a CDU chancellor but SPD policies would only benefit the AfD.
The CDU’s Kreisverband Potsdam-Mittelmark has called for a “membership vote” on the possible coalition agreement, stating that such a far-reaching decision should not be made without direct involvement of the party base, as many members feel underrepresented and are considering leaving the party.
For additional unease, Merz’s sudden cancellation of the CDU’s federal executive committee meeting for this Monday has caused concern, with the party’s federal executive committee members feeling uninformed about the coalition talks.