The Greens’ top candidate and the CDU prime minister are meeting on Wednesday for an initial meeting.
(Photo: Reuters)
Dusseldorf Only three days after their success in the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, the CDU and the Greens are meeting for an initial meeting. The meeting was agreed for this Wednesday (2 p.m.) in the building of the West German Chamber of Crafts in Düsseldorf, both parties announced on Tuesday evening. At the invitation of the North Rhine-Westphalia CDU, the Greens wrote in their statement that they wanted to hold initial talks “about an assessment of the current political situation in North Rhine-Westphalia”.
Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst, parliamentary group leader Bodo Löttgen as well as Ina Scharrenbach, Nathanael Liminski and Serap Güler will take part in the appointment. NRW top candidate Mona Neubaur, Felix Banaszak, Verena Schäffer, Josefine Paul and Raoul Roßbach are sitting at the table for the Greens.
With a record result behind them, the Greens are keeping various options open for the forthcoming government formation. After the first meeting with the election winner, the CDU, they would also be available for talks with the SPD, Neubaur had made clear on Tuesday after the constituent meeting of the state parliamentary group.
Despite a historically bad result, the SPD wants to explore possibilities for a traffic light coalition like in the federal government. SPD state leader Thomas Kutschaty announced on Tuesday in Düsseldorf that he wanted to invite the Greens and the FDP to talks.
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“We are ready to take on responsibility – even in difficult times,” said Neubaur. “If the SPD invites us, we will of course also talk to them.” The NRW Greens, who on Sunday almost tripled their result compared to 2017 to 18.2 percent and took third place, went into such talks strengthened.
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The SPD will send invitations for exploratory talks to the FDP and the Greens, announced SPD state leader Thomas Kutschaty. The SPD parliamentary group temporarily confirmed him in his office as parliamentary group leader in its constituent meeting on Tuesday. He was also invited to an interview by the CDU on Monday. A specific date has not yet been set. “We’ve all been talking for a long time,” said Kuchaty.
FDP expects the formation of a black-green state government
The FDP parliamentary group leader in the state parliament, Christof Rasche, is open to talks with other parties, but said: “I assume that we will talk to each other, but one thing is clear: there will be black and green and nothing else is available Debate.”
After the election Sunday, on which the North Rhine-Westphalia FDP had to worry about being able to re-enter the state parliament at times due to heavy losses, FDP state leader Joachim Stamp also commented in this direction.
The incumbent CDU parliamentary group leader, Löttgen, spoke of a coalition of equals that now needs to be forged. The key issues included the fight against climate change, modern jobs and mobility, affordable housing and the best education, he said after the inaugural meeting of the CDU parliamentary group, which Wüst also attended.
To what extent the CDU program fits together with the programs of the SPD and the Greens, he cannot say. He has not read the SPD, he is currently in the process of the Greens program, said Löttgen. In domestic and security policy, black and yellow had been very successful with Herbert Reul in terms of content and personnel.
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