German coalition talks miss deadline; parties still at odds
We still believe that it’s worth it to work at it with our full energy.
BERLIN: Chancellor Angela Merkel’s efforts to forge a threeway ruling coalition could last all weekend after the parties missed Merkel’s deadline and failed to reach agreement on key issues such as migration and finances.
Merkel’s conservatives, the probusiness Free Democrats (FDP) and the environmentalist Greens told reporters around 4am that they were taking a break after 15 hours of frustrating negotiations and would resume their work around midday yesterday.
“Westillbelievethatit’sworthitto work at it with our full energy,” said Peter Tauber, secretary-general of Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU). “On the other hand, it’s evident that it’s difficult.”
Wolfgang Kubicki, deputy leader of the FDP, told reporters he was ‘extremely frustrated’ after four weeks of negotiations that have failed to produce agreement.
“If things stay like this, we won’t get any further,” Kubicki said. “It’s frustrating when you sit together and then you realise that you’re right back where you started.”
Kubicki told ARD television the parties were “still so far apart on key issues such as migration, fighting climate change, finances and domestic security, that I can’t imagine how we can get together in the short time available.”
Michael Kellner, a top official with the Greens, said there was much to be done yet.
“Nothing is agreed, nothing has been decided,” he said.
Fellow Greens negotiator Juergen Trittin told broadcaster
Peter Tauber, CDU secretary-general
DLF the sides had moved closer on the issue of phasing out coal production, but the Bavarian conservative party refused to compromise on the issue of asylum seekers who wanted to bring their immediate families to Germany.
Merkel had wanted to wrap up exploratory talks on Thursday about the three-way coalition, which is untested at the national level, but the mood soured soon after the meetings began.
The parties broke off to huddle in their respective caucuses throughout the evening, with party officials trading barbs about who was to blame. Finally at around 4.30am the negotiators called it quits for the night.
FDP leader Christian Lindner said some progress had been made on digitalisation, Europe and other issues, but the parties remained divided over migration and finances. Unlike Kubicki, he said he was optimistic a deal could still be hammered out.
Failure to reach agreement on a ‘Jamaica’ coalition, so named because the parties’ colours match those of the Caribbean island’s flag, could lead to new elections.
That is a scenario none of the negotiating parties wants, given predictions that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) could make further gains after surging into parliament in the Sept. 24 national vote.
A new election could also weigh heavily on the euro.
Merkel could still reach out to her previous coalition partners, the Social Democrats (SPD), but they have vowed to remain in opposition after suffering their worst election result since 1933 in the September elections.
Thechancellorisunderpressure from her own conservative bloc, particularly the Bavarian CSU sister party, to hold the line on key issues in the talks, especially on migration after the influx of over 1 million migrants over the past two years.
The CSU, worried about losing further ground in a 2018 state election, is pushing for migrant caps and more orderly immigration.
If negotiators agree to a deal, it must still pass muster with lowerranking party officials. A key test would be a Greens conference on Nov 25, when the party’s rank and file would examine any coalition pact. — AFP