Friday October 15, 2021
“A departure possible”
Traffic light party leaders recommend coalition negotiations
The heads of the SPD, Greens and FDP recommend their party committees to start coalition negotiations to form a joint federal government. “Germany needs a stable and reliable government that can address the challenges facing our country. Our talks have shown that we can do this,” said a joint paper. “We can help to soften political bondage and spark new political creativity.” The three parties had explored this step in exploratory talks since Monday. The party committees now have the final say.
SPD top candidate Olaf Scholz spoke of a very good result. It is “a departure possible”. Together they want to achieve the progress that is necessary. “It’s especially about modernization.”
According to Annalena Baerbock, Greens co-leader, there was “an understanding that everyone gives something” during the talks. She spoke of the goal of a “government that invites, that is capable of learning and is in dialogue with the people”.
FDP leader Christian Linder praised the atmosphere of the talks and spoke of a “turning point in the political style of Germany” in view of the confidentiality and the “curiosity about the position of the counterpart”. The “space of possibility” has expanded and “made new fantasies possible”. They have “broken with the peculiarity of covering up political differences,” but instead “tried to make decisions about direction,” he said, referring to the agreement of financial guard rails. “For a long time there has been no comparable opportunity for modernization” for the country.