Government alliance - CDU and SPD: Confident in coalition negotiations
TheCDU and SPD in Hesse believe their coalition negotiations are on the right track. CDU General Secretary Manfred Pentz spoke on Thursday in Wiesbaden of a new togetherness and deepened trust in crisis-ridden times on the way to the first "Christian-social" government alliance in Hesse for 70 years. A "milestone" had been reached in the talks held so far with almost 200 participants in 15 working groups as well as in a main round of top politicians, some of which lasted until late in the evening. We are well on the way towards the summit cross, said Pentz.
SPD General Secretary Christoph Degen also expects "a successful conclusion" to the coalition negotiations. He added that the two parties had found more overlaps in terms of content than originally thought. The CDU, the clear winner of the election, had always met the weaker SPD "at eye level" and had not approached them "from above". Both General Secretaries were on first-name terms in front of journalists. They did not respond to questions about possible sticking points or topics that required a lot of discussion.
The two parties want to decide on the outcome of the black-red negotiations on December 16. The CDU is planning a state committee in Frankfurt, while the SPD wants to meet for a party conference in Groß-Umstadt in southern Hesse. According to a CDU spokesperson, the CDU/CSU and SPD plan to sign the new coalition agreement before Christmas. On January 18, the 21st Hessian state parliament will be constituted in Wiesbaden.
In the past decade, Hesse has been led by a black-green government. The CDU won the state elections on October 8 by a clear margin. It was then able to choose comfortably between the Greens and the SPD as coalition partners. After exploratory talks, the CDU decided to seek a black-red government alliance.
In a joint key issues paper, the potential coalition partners committed themselves to limiting migration, for example, as well as to more jobs for the police and financial support for the first owner-occupied home. In addition, a separate ministry for agriculture and forestry as well as viticulture, hunting and homeland is to be created.
Pentz said that the coalition negotiations to date had resulted in a paper of around 200 to 250 pages. Open points would now be clarified in the main negotiating group, explained both Secretaries-General. Disagreements from the election campaign had been cleared up in a debate.
Before the state election, an SPD election campaign video had caused discussion. The almost 90-second SPD advertisement portrayed cooperation between the CDU and AfD as a possibility and provoked outraged reactions. The SPD deleted the video.
The leader of the Greens' parliamentary group in the state parliament, Mathias Wagner, called the statements by the CDU and SPD on the status of the coalition negotiations a "big whiff of nothing". Both parties talked about wanting to tackle the pressing challenges of the time. "But they have said exactly nothing in concrete terms today," criticized Wagner.
FDP parliamentary group leader René Rock explained: "We can only assess the new coalition once it has presented something concrete." Only time will tell how the relationship with the Greens as a new member of the state parliament opposition will develop. "Democratic parliamentary groups must be able to work together in principle. Where they can cooperate depends on the content," explained Rock.
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- Following the clear victory in the State election, the CDU in Hesse began coalition negotiations with the SPD, aiming to form a 'government alliance' for the first time in 70 years.
- The CDU and SPD General Secretaries, Manfred Pentz and Christoph Degen, have expressed confidence in the progress of these negotiations, citing deepened trust and numerous overlaps in content.
- The potential coalition partners are scheduled to reach a decision on December 16, with the CDU gathering in Frankfurt and the SPD in Groß-Umstadt for respective meetings.
- The CDU-CSU and SPD aim to sign a new coalition agreement before Christmas, paving the way for the 21st Hessian state parliament to be constituted in Wiesbaden on January 18.
- During the negotiations, the CDU and SPD have committed to various policies, including limiting migration, creating a ministry for agriculture, and providing more jobs for the police.
- Despite ongoing coalition negotiations, critical voices from the Green party and the FDP have emerged, expressing concerns over the lack of concrete details and the need for democratic cooperation based on content.
Source: www.stern.de
