The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) has summoned the Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) to begin testing this week the possibilities of forming a tripartite government, asserting their victory in Sunday’s elections against some conservatives who they still do not officially throw in the towel.
The Social Democrats obtained 25.7% of the votes in the recent elections, compared to 24.1% for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU). The SPD candidate for Chancery, Olaf Scholz, has defended his legitimacy to take the initiative.
The party leader in the Bundestag – Lower House of Parliament – Rolf Mützenich, has confirmed an invitation to Greens and Liberals for “exploratory talks.” “If you wish, already this week,” said Mützenich at the constituent session of the new parliamentary group.
Common front
The Greens won 14.8% of the vote on Sunday, while the FDP won 11.5%, so the support of both is essential for the aspirations of both the SPD and the CDU. The two potential partners have raised the possibility of making a common front to gain strength.
The co-chairman of The Greens, Robert Haebeck, has stated that they will focus on negotiating aspects of the agenda and not positions, given the possibility that Annalena Baerbock becomes the next vice chancellor of Germany. Haebeck considers this debate “totally irrelevant”: “We don’t even have a chancellor.”
The SPD assumes the fight against climate change as one of the axes of its virtual government, as well as the improvement of the minimum wage or access to housing. However, his parliamentary spokesman has avoided drawing red lines in public, appealing to the discretion of the looming negotiations.
Mützenich has urged Laschet to “understand” that he does not have “the confidence of the citizens” and to resign from forming a government. 71% of Germans also share this discomfort towards the conservative candidate, according to a poll by the Civey firm published by the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper on Tuesday.
Only 22% are in favor of a coalition led by the CDU, although in the conservative bloc the level of support rises to 55%. The Bavarian partner, the CSU, has expressed reluctance that Laschet tries to succeed the current chancellor, Angela Merkel, in light of Sunday’s results.
They ask for the resignation of Laschet
In fact, 51% of citizens believe that Laschet should directly give up continuing to lead the CDU, a figure that is around 40% in the case of supporters of the conservative bloc, according to another Insa poll for the Bild .
German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier, considered a close ally of Merkel, congratulated the SPD for the votes obtained, in an interview with RTL / ntv in which, however, he assured that the CDU will not shirk its “responsibility politics”.
