Agency Report –
“I assume that it will take a while,” said parliamentary leader Alexander Dobrindt from the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union (CSU), noting that negotiators had made time to allow the talks to continue over the next two days.
The CSU is part of the conservative bloc led by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of presumptive next chancellor Friedrich Merz, which came out on top in last month’s election.
SPD co-leader Saskia Esken also said she does not expect final results on Friday, as the exploratory talks were due to continue.
“We are talking about many key issues, and some are easier to talk about than others. We have very different views,” Esken noted.
The conservatives are racing to form a government as Germany faces a mountain of challenges, including sluggish economic growth, a vast backlog in infrastructure investments, pressure to ramp up defence spending and take a leading role in Europe amid a US foreign policy shift.
The two sides made a major breakthrough on Tuesday, agreeing on a massive spending plan aimed at enabling investments in infrastructure and defence.
They are now trying to push through the debt-funded proposal in the outgoing parliament, as backing is expected to be more difficult to achieve once newly elected lawmakers take their seats on March 25.
The main talking points on Friday’s agenda include finance and social policy, with Dobrindt saying good progress was also being made on the contentious topic of migration.
While noting a great willingness on both sides to reach an agreement, the CSU politician said “it still needs a little time.”
Both sides have agreed to keep silent as the talks are progressing. It is currently unclear when results can be expected.
Migration in particular could prove to be a stumbling block, after conservative leader Merz vowed to issue instructions to reject all migrants at Germany’s borders on his first day in office.
Speaking on a programme of public broadcaster ARD, SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil reiterated that his party would “not go along with de facto border closures.”
Dobrindt declined to comment when asked about Klingbeil’s statement on his party’s red lines when it comes to migration.
He merely noted that the talks were held in a “very good” climate, adding that “the crucial thing is to reach agreement in these discussions.”
SPD leader Esken also described the talks’ atmosphere as positive, saying she was “confident that we will achieve a good result,” while warning against mistaking the exploratory talks for coalition negotiations.
The first step was to explore the possibilities for coming together and building the necessary trust before delving into the issues at hand and working together for four years, she said.
By Jörg Blank, Niklas Treppner and Marco Hadem
