German Coalition Talks Plough on amid Differences on Migration PolicyBerlin, 24 Mar (ONA) —- Differences remain between Germany’s traditional
parties as they seek to form a government in Berlin, a leading
conservative lawmaker said on Monday.
Following elections last month, the conservative CDU/CSU bloc – made
up of Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union and the
Bavaria-only Christian Social Union – is in coalition talks with the
centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD).
Negotiators are under pressure from business leaders at home and
international partners abroad to find a rapid agreement and form the
next German government as soon as possible.
The parties have already achieved a quick breakthrough on finance,
passing a landmark package including a constitutional reform to hike
spending on defence and a ?500 billion ($542 billion) fund for
infrastructure and climate protection through the outgoing German
parliament last week.
However, negotiations to establish a formal coalition are still
ongoing, with presumptive chancellor Merz hoping for a government to
be in place by April 2025.
Ahead of a meeting in Berlin today, senior CDU/CSU parliamentary
leader Thorsten Frei said the parties have “different views on both
the migration issue and domestic policy as a whole.”
Compromises will be possible, but it would be “way too early to say
anything concrete,” said Frei.
The comments came ahead of an internal deadline for 16 working groups
negotiating on a series of policy issues to submit written summaries
of their progress later today.
Sticking points are set to be examined in smaller groups featuring
the parties’ leaders this week.
Frei said that despite external pressure for a quick deal,
“thoroughness is clearly more important than speed.”
“It is more important that we now create a good basis for a
successful government for Germany,” he argued.
—- Ends/Khalid