German CDU/CSU, FDP Consider Coalition With Greens

Text of report by German news agency ddp on 22 September

Berlin: The CDU/CSU [Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union] and the FDP [Free Democratic Party] do not rule out a coalition with the Alliance 90/The Greens for the time being. After exploratory talks in Berlin on Thursday [22 September], CDU Chairwoman Angela Merkel asserted that the programmatic differences with the Greens are “enormous”, but there is no majority for the CDU/ CSU-FDP alone.

FDP Chairman Guido Westerwelle spoke of very good and constructive talks with the CDU/CSU. He once again rejected an SPD- led traffic light [Red-Yellow-Green] coalition. “We are not available for this,” the FDP chairman stressed.

CSU Chairman Edmund Stoiber pointed out that the FDP also regards the planned meeting between the CDU/CSU and the Greens on Friday [23 September] as meaningful. However, he himself is sceptical as far as potential cooperation with the Greens is concerned, he stated, adding that this is an “extremely difficult undertaking”. But one has to sound out all possibilities for a stable government, he stressed.

Merkel rejected the option of a minority government. Merkel said that the exploratory talks between the leaders of the CDU/CSU and the Liberals have shown that the parties “have many things in common”. The secretary-generals have been commissioned to draw up a list of issues where there is disagreement, she stated. In the “light” of the meeting with the Greens, the CDU/CSU will then “continue talks with the FDP”, she said.

Westerwelle stressed that there is “sufficient” agreement with the CDU/CSU on subject matters for a “real political change”. However, there are also differences, for example, as regards the issue of civil rights and social policy, he said. The FDP is opposed to an increase of the value added tax rate also in the future and supports open-ended negotiations about Turkey’s EU accession, he continued. But the differences are not so big that they would prevent the CDU/CSU and the FDP from governing together, he stated.

According to Westerwelle, there is agreement with the Greens, above all, on domestic and legal policy. Things are more difficult as regards economic, tax and labour market policy, he continued. FDP Bundestag [lower chamber of the German Parliament] Group leader Wolfgang Gerhardt said that the Greens have to decide whether they “want to be tied forever to the left-wing spectrum”. The leading Liberals made it clear that they would not conduct parallel negotiations with the Greens. The formation of a new government is in the hands of the CDU/CSU, Westerwelle said, substantiating his statement.