Before the further exploratory talks between the SPD, Greens and FDP to form a traffic light coalition confirms the parliamentary managing director of the FDP parliamentary group, Marco Buschmann, the framework conditions for a possible alliance. “The red lines of the FDP are well known: no tax increases and no loosening of the debt brake of our Basic Law”, says Buschmann to the “Spiegel”. There are still further points of friction, but all three parties are “ambitious”. “The discussions must show whether there is frictional energy for a forward impulse. So far everything has been very serious and professional. It is clear to everyone involved: It’s about our country. “
The SPD, Greens and FDP will continue to talk on Monday about the formation of a traffic light coalition. Representatives of the three parties will meet in Berlin in the morning for in-depth exploratory talks. Further meetings are announced for Tuesday and Friday. On Wednesday and Thursday, the general secretaries of the parties want to continue working in a small group, while SPD chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz travels to Washington to meet the G20 finance ministers.
The exploratory talks point to the greatest conflicts over taxes, debts and the financing of climate protection measures. The Greens co-leader Robert Habeck emphasized on Sunday evening how important it is for the negotiations with the FDP to be successful. “Failure is actually not an option,” he said on the ZDF program “Berlin direkt”. If a coalition of the SPD and the Union were to emerge again, Germany would “go nuts”. “We have to pull ourselves together a bit,” said Habeck. The finances are of course a “huge problem”.
The aim is to draw an interim balance at the end of the week. Then, above all, the FDP and the Greens want to decide whether to enter into coalition negotiations with the SPD – or whether there may have to be another exploratory round. The Greens and FDP have explicitly kept the possibility of a Jamaica coalition with the Union open. The Green Youth gave such an alliance a clear rejection at the weekend.