Negotiations all night
Hebestreit: Coalition meeting is nearing the end
03/27/2023, 12:15 p.m
The traffic light leaders have been negotiating some of the major issues in their coalition since the evening before. After a night with little sleep, the talks are nearing completion, according to government spokesman Hebestreit. Nothing stands in the way of the cabinet’s upcoming trip to the Netherlands.
After hours of negotiations, there are signs of an end to the top group of SPD, Greens and FDP in the Chancellery. “We continue to meet, but the end of the negotiations is in sight,” said government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit, referring to a phone call with Chancellor Olaf Scholz. He also spoke of a “good result”. The German-Dutch government consultations, for which the traffic light ministers wanted to leave for Rotterdam in the early afternoon, could start on time.
The discussion between the traffic light leaders in the Chancellery is particularly about the question of speeding up planning and climate protection, said Hebestreit. There has long been a dispute in the coalition as to whether the construction of motorways should also be accelerated or whether this should only apply to railway lines and bridges. The talks should be concluded “in the foreseeable future,” said the government spokesman.
The leaders of the SPD, Greens and FDP have been negotiating a number of conflict issues since Sunday evening at 6.30 p.m. in Berlin. Plans to replace oil and gas heating systems and the financing of basic child security were also controversial in the run-up. “When I met the chancellor earlier, I didn’t get the impression that he had slept that much last night,” said Hebestreit.
When asked whether the committee members had an opportunity to sleep that night, government spokesman Hebestreit said: “I am not aware of any overnight accommodations in the Chancellery.” However, it could be “that someone has retired to an armchair”.