Friday November 12th 2021
“I am very, very optimistic”
Klingbeil: The new government is in place until Nicholas
Liberals and Social Democrats are confident that the traffic light government can start work soon. SPD General Secretary Klingbeil names the sixth December as the date. However, the Greens are a little more pessimistic on the subject.
SPD General Secretary Lars Klingbeil expects the new traffic light government to start work at the beginning of December. Klingbeil told Bayerischer Rundfunk in an interview that he was totally optimistic that the coalition agreement with the Greens and the FDP would be approved by the SPD on December 4th and that Olaf Scholz would be elected chancellor the week after Nikolaus. What is needed now is a government capable of acting quickly.
Previously, FDP leader Christian Lindner had also made it clear that he was sticking to the agreed schedule for the formation of a traffic light coalition. “The FDP can make its contribution to the timely clarification of all disputed points,” he told the “world”. The Greens had recently questioned the punctual conclusion of the negotiations and expressed dissatisfaction with the progress, especially on the issue of climate protection.
According to Klingbeil, he does not fear that the coalition negotiations could get out of schedule. “I would be the first to think about a plan B if I had the feeling that I needed it, but right now I am really in good, trusting discussions and I am very, very optimistic that it will work.” It is important now to get to the point quickly so that the newly sworn ministers have the chance to start working in the ministries before the Christmas break.
Points of dispute should be clarified in top rounds
Klingbeil expressed understanding when the current negotiations caused frustration among the Greens: It was completely normal for everyone to fight for the things that they later want to have in a coalition agreement. That is the case with all three parties.
Almost three weeks after the start of negotiations on a traffic light coalition, the working groups presented their first results on Wednesday evening and sent them to the general secretaries of the parties. The remaining points of contention should be clarified in top rounds. The first meeting of the main negotiating group is next Monday.
In the St. Nicholas week from December 6th, SPD chancellor candidate Scholz will be elected chancellor and his government will be sworn in in the Bundestag. If they are to stick to this schedule, the parties will not have much time to complete their negotiations. The SPD and the Greens want to ask their members about the coalition agreement.
The SPD board had nominated Klingbeil and the previous party leader Saskia Esken as the new dual leadership on Monday. The two are to be elected at a party congress on the second weekend in December – shortly after the planned election of Scholz as Chancellor of a “traffic light coalition” in the Bundestag.