CDU and SPD discuss status of coalition negotiations
Around two weeks after the start of their coalition negotiations in Hesse, the CDU and SPD will provide an update on the status of their talks this Thursday. "We are making good progress," said a CDU spokesperson. Milestones have been reached and trust has been built. The General Secretaries of the CDU and SPD in Hesse, Manfred Pentz and Christoph Degen, will report on details in Wiesbaden (12.00 noon).
Both parties want to decide on the outcome of the black-red negotiations on December 16. According to the CDU spokesperson, the plan is for top politicians from the CDU/CSU and SPD to sign the new coalition agreement before Christmas. The 21st Hessian state parliament will be constituted in Wiesbaden on January 18.
Over 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.
The CDU and SPD, currently engaged in coalition negotiations, have scheduled a Thursday update on their progress in Hesse. If successful, they aim to finalize their agreement by December 16, with top politicians from both parties signing the new coalition agreement before Christmas.
Despite the previous decade of black-green governance in Hesse, the CDU, following their victory in the state elections, opted to negotiate with the SPD for a potential black-red coalition, a decision driven by their exploratory talks results.
Source: www.dpa.com
