The Social Democrat Olaf Scholz has presented its coalition agreement with green and liberal, an unprecedented tripartite at federal level in Germany that should be released at the height of the pandemic, the last and unresolved crisis of the era Angela Merkel.
The coalition pact “is there”, announced Scholz, 59 days later that his Social Democratic Party (SPD) won the general elections with a 25,7%, compared to 24.1% of the conservative bloc, its historical minimum on a national scale.
It bears by title “Daring to greater progress”, alluding to the need to modernize Germany from the perspective of the transition to a green economy and as a representative of the “political center”, according to liberal Christian Lindner, who wants to set the tone from the Ministry of Finance.
Contains objectives such as the abandonment of coal in 2030 -eight years earlier than expected by Merkel’s team-; increase the minimum interprofessional wage -from the current 9.5 euros to 12- and guarantee access to decent housing and affordable, with the construction of 400,000 new flats a year, 100,000 of them with public investment.
The negotiations between the three future partners have been “arduous”, “complex” and “loyal”, in the words of the green leader Robert Habeck. For weeks, the media have drawn the hard pulse between Lindner and the greens for heading Finance, a key portfolio in the leading European power.
Premiere with the pandemic on the rise
The pact has been presented to the staff of the parties involved, from a large industrial warehouse and with an air of historical milestone for the three formations. But obviously the dominant theme was the pandemic.
The incidence registers day by day in Germany absolute maxima -404 infections in seven days per 100,000 inhabitants, four times the levels of a month ago. Its authorities have so far responded with much more timid measures than in neighboring Austria, amid dramatic warnings from the acting chancellor and a first bill to contain the virtual coalition pandemic.
Before entering the contents of a pact for the legislature that will cover until 2025, Scholz outlined several points of immediate action against COVID.
Along with creating a team or crisis cabinet, which will analyze together with experts the daily evolution of infections, the future chancellor referred to the bill to implement voluntary vaccination in essential professional sectors, as health and care personnel for vulnerable people.
Fight between greens and liberals
“We are faced with the great challenge of a health crisis. But also with other persistent challenges that we must tackle, such as digitization and modernization of the country“Lindner continued.
“The first industrial power in Europe is going to equip itself with a new government, an unprecedented alliance, the purpose of which is to modernize this country, which requires a great effort,” said the green Habeck, to whom the media gave as the new Minister of Economy and Environment.
The pact is there, as Scholz, vice chancellor and finance minister in Merkel’s grand coalition, said. Now it will be up to the parties involved to give the go-ahead – in a consultation format to the rank and file, for the Greens, or in federal congress, from the SPD and the FDP.
The marked roadmap foresees that Scholz will be submitted to the investiture of Parliament around the 6th of December to lead the tripartite that will end Merkel’s 16 years in power.
The list of ministers will be announced in the coming days, as their designation formally corresponds to each party. But just as it is assumed that Lindner will be in charge of Finance and that Habeck will do it in Economy and Environment, the main ministries have been assigned in the media.
Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) will seven ministries -including the Chancellery-, including the Ministry of Health, a ministry with few powers, since they correspond to the “Länder”, but of great relevance.
It will also have the newly created Ministry of Housing, as well as those of Defense, Interior, Labor and Social Affairs.
The Greens – who obtained 14.8%, their historical maximum in a national election – will lead five ministries, including Exteriors, probably for Annalena Baerbock, the candidate who a few months ago was seen as a solid candidate for the Chancellery.
The FDP, with 11.5%, will take the Justice, Transportation and Education portfolios together with Finance.
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
