Skip next section First reports emerge on ministry distribution
04/09/2025April 9, 2025
First reports emerge on ministry distribution
German news agency DPA has reported, citing insiders, that the Christian Democrats (CDU) of will take on the Foreign Ministry for the first time in almost 60 years in the new coalition government.
The Social Democrats (SPD) will be assigned the Finance and Defense Ministries, while the Interior Ministry is also to be taken by the conservative bloc of CDU and the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU).
https://p.dw.com/p/4ssOE
Skip next section What happens next?
04/09/2025April 9, 2025
What happens next?
After the coalition deal has been presented on Wednesday afternoon, it will still need approval by the three parties involved.
In the case of the Social Democrats (SPD), this will mean a digital ballot of its rank-and-file members.
The Christian Democrats (CDU) will hold a vote on the deal at a party convention, while with the Christian Social Union (CSU), a decision by the party’s steering committee will suffice for approval.
https://p.dw.com/p/4ssHt
Skip next section Coalition agreement to be presented later Wednesday
04/09/2025April 9, 2025
Coalition agreement to be presented later Wednesday
Germany’s conservative CDU/CSU bloc and center-left Social Democrats will present their agreement toform a new coalition government at 3:00 p.m. (1300 GMT) on Wednesday, the CDU/CSU and SPD said in an invitation.
The deal is to be presented at a press conference with CDU leader Friedrich Merz, SPD leader Lars Klingbeil and CSU chairman Markus Söder.
The agreement comes after nearly four weeks of negotiations.
The deal must still be ratified by the SPD’s membership in a vote. If SPD members back the deal, the chancellorship would return to conservatives.
https://p.dw.com/p/4ssGc
Skip next section CSU’s Dobrindt says Merz likely to be elected chancellor in May
04/09/2025April 9, 2025
CSU’s Dobrindt says Merz likely to be elected chancellor in May
The head of the parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Alexander Dobrindt, has said from the allied is likely to be elected as the next German chancellor in early May.
“That is simply the timing that is now dependent on the decision by the SPD [Social Democrat] rank-and-file members,” he said.
Dobrindt said he expected an agreement to be reached in ongoing coalition talks between the CDU/CSU bloc and the SPD on Wednesday.
“Today, something has to work out,” he said, adding that “the final sprint has begun” and that he expected a “very good result.”
The SPD will put any coalition agreement that is reached to a vote by its members, while the CDU and CSU will seek approval by a “small” party congress and the steering committee respectively
https://p.dw.com/p/4ssF5
Skip next section Preliminary memo from CDU shows some potential wins in coalition deal04/09/2025April 9, 2025
Preliminary memo from CDU shows some potential wins in coalition deal
The spinning has begun. DW has seen a memo circulating inside CDU circles hailing the as-yet-to-be announced deal.
The note claims that the negotiators have agreed to a number of conservative election pledges.
They include tax-free overtime, scrapping supply chain regulations and a “change in migration and asylum policy.”
For more details on what exactly that change looks like, we will have to wait until the leaders address the media later.
There is huge pressure on the election winner, , to emerge with a deal that will satisfy the grassroots of his party.
And another bit of news will only add to his stress.
The far-right Alternative for Germany has topped a major poll for the first time ever. According to the Ipsos poll, the AfD support is at 25%, with the CDU on 24%.
https://p.dw.com/p/4ssEl
Skip next section Far-right AfD tops major survey for first time
04/09/2025April 9, 2025
Far-right AfD tops major survey for first time
As coalition talks continue in Berlin, the far-right party — which came in second in the , just behind the conservative CDU/CSU bloc — has come out on top of a major voter survey for the first time.
The Ipsos poll showed the AfD going up by three percentage points to reach 25%, while the conservatives of , the expected next German chancellor, fell by five percentage points to 24%.
The AfD’s election performance was already the best by a far-right party in Germany since World War II. However, all mainstream parties are refusing to cooperate with it, meaning it will become the strongest opposition party in the new German parliament.
The of the anti-immigration, pro-Russia party is a sign of increasing dissatisfaction with mainstream parties.
Its co-leader, , hailed the poll result on the social-media platform X, formerly Twitter, saying: “The people want political change — and not a ‘business as usual’ coalition of CDU/CSU and SPD.”
The SPD came in at 15% in the Ipsos poll, an unchanged rating.
https://p.dw.com/p/4ssA9
Skip next section Tax reform a sore spot in negotiations04/09/2025April 9, 2025
Tax reform a sore spot in negotiations
A has been tax reform.
While the SPD has called for more taxes on high earners and businesses, the conservatives rejected these plans.
The CSU leader and Bavarian state premier, Markus Söder, emphasized in an interview two weeks ago that tax increases were “completely out of the question.”
The SPD wants to increase individual taxes. For example, the top income tax rate would be raised from 42% to 47%, applying to incomes over €83,600. In addition, the top income tax would be increased to 49%.
The conservatives are opposed to raising the top income tax.
During the election campaign, the CDU/CSU had promised generous tax cuts for companies to jumpstart growth. Whether these will actually happen is questionable.
The CDU and CSU want to gradually reduce the tax burden on profits retained by companies to 25% with immediate effect.
https://p.dw.com/p/4ssAI
Skip next section What could be announced on Wednesday?
04/09/2025April 9, 2025
What could be announced on Wednesday?
According to German broadcaster ARD, the negotiators might either announce only a coalition deal or include the names of the parties and/or people that would take on the various portfolios.
ARD notes three different possible scenarios for the announcement.
- The negotiating parties might present only a coalition agreement without naming ministers or saying which party is to hold which ministry. In this variant, public debate following the announcement would focus on what policy directions have been agreed.
- The parties could announce just an agreement along with a list of to which parties the ministries would be assigned, but without naming names. This would inevitably lead to a public debate and speculation on who would head each ministry.
- The third, most comprehensive possibility — and, according to ARD, the least likely because of the complexity of the decisions involved — is for all three elements to be announced: the policies agreed, the distribution of the ministries among the parties and the names of the ministers.
https://p.dw.com/p/4srRa
Skip next section Why does Germany’s government need a coalition?
04/09/2025April 9, 2025
Why does Germany’s government need a coalition?
At snap elections on February 23, called after Germany’s previous three-way , the conservative CDU/CSU bloc received the largest percentage of votes (28.6%).
The second biggest party was the far-right party on 20.8%.
All established parties in Germany A coalition of the conservatives with the SPD — which received just 16.4% — was therefore the most practical way of obtaining a parliamentary majority in the 630-seat Bundestag, with 328 seats combined.
There has been a sense of urgency in the negotiations, as many are looking to Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, to provide leadership at a time of great global upheavals and security threats.
These include the imposition of new , growing Russian aggression amid and the increasing strength of far-right elements in
Since 1966, Germany has had four governments at the federal level in which the conservatives and the left-leaning Social Democrats have joined forces.
Such alliances have been much more frequent at the level of the German states.
https://p.dw.com/p/4srMC
Skip next section Welcome to our coverage04/09/2025April 9, 2025
Welcome to our coverage
Germany’s conservative , along with their Bavarian sister party the , are reportedly close to reaching a final deal on forming a coalition with the center-left of outgoing Chancellor .
The coalition negotiations have been running since shortly after the February 23 elections from which the conservatives emerged as the largest grouping in parliament.
If a coalition deal is announced on Wednesday, the SPD says it will hold a digital vote among its members on whether to approve it, while the CDU would hold a so-called small party congress to decide. The CSU needs only a decision by its board.
https://p.dw.com/p/4srLw
The post Germany: Conservatives finalize coalition deal with SPD appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
