A German state’s premier expresses optimism for coalition talks, emphasizing the importance of content over format.
North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister-President Hendrik Wüst, a member of the Christian Democratic Union, has shown an optimistic outlook on the upcoming coalition talks. In an interview with the “Rheinische Post” he stated, “The democratic middle now has the great responsibility to lead Germany out of the crisis together. Of course, finding a compromise between two partners is often easier and faster than in a three-party constellation. But it’s the content that will be decisive.”
The new federal government, Wüst emphasized, must differ in style, substance and outcome from the previous government, the “traffic light” coalition. “We need sustainable answers to the people’s great concerns. The next days and weeks will show whether there will be reliable discussions and stable agreements. I am confident that this will succeed. The SPD should take their historically poor election result as an opportunity to re-examine their own positions.”
The North Rhine-Westphalian SPD, Wüst pointed out, has the fewest representatives in the new Bundestag as it has ever had and has, in the state, underperformed its previous worst election result by six percentage points. “The social democrats seem to have lost touch with their own voters and the social groups connected to them. That is, of course, not something that brings me personal joy, but as a democrat, I am indeed concerned.