Senior representatives of the conservative Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats in Germany have begun preliminary talks today to form a governing coalition. However, these two parties, with deep ideological and political differences, which have vowed not to govern with the far-right party Alternative for Germany, face a complicated negotiation process to draft a government program aimed at revitalizing the economy.
Friedrich Merz, leader of the conservative bloc, which came first in Sunday’s elections, stated that he aims to form a government by April 20, a timeline considered very tight due to the differences between the parties.
The difficulties may increase considering Mr. Merz’s tough style, which has already been criticized by his potential partners.
“Both sides need to try to find a common language. We need to talk and move forward. I do not want to talk about specific issues before the talks. Trust must be the cornerstone. We need to learn from the current government’s failure. Constant conflicts not only harm those involved but also damage democracy. We need the will to work together. We should not focus on party gains but on solving big problems, to move the economy forward and give people economic and social security,” stated Social Democrat official, Manuela Schwesig.
A coalition between the conservative parties and the Social Democrats, who came third in the election, is the only option to form a government if all parties remain committed to not governing with Alternative for Germany, which came second in the elections. This party garnered the most support for an extreme right-wing party in Germany since World War II.
The talks taking place today involve senior officials from both parties and could lead to further discussions with working groups on various political issues to draft a detailed plan for the legislative agenda for the next four years.
During the campaign, the conservative bloc focused on removing economic regulations and promised to limit immigration. The Social Democrats, which include outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, want to increase the minimum wage and oppose Mr. Merz’s vision for stricter border controls.
