Next Thursday evening they want to meet in a new group for the first time. Nothing is decided in this coalition committee, probably less advice, you want to get to know each other first.
Whether the grand coalition holds or not - this question is unlikely to be answered this year.
Saskia Esken and Norbert Walter-Borjans have only been in office for a good week as the new SPD chair. At the top of the Union, many still don't know what to do with them, Angela Merkel is one step ahead of the rest: she had Esken and Walter-Borjans at the Chancellery last Thursday morning.
However, the meeting also had symbolic meaning: With the invitation, Merkel showed how much she cares about the existence of the coalition - no matter who leads the SPD. Her party friend and CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer does not share this view, not to mention her party friend Friedrich Merz. And what about CSU boss Markus Söder?
On the social democratic side, Bundestag faction leader Rolf Mützenich is very interested in the coalition holding, just like Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz. And the new strong man on the SPD side, Juso boss and party vice Kevin Kühnert?
And what about the powerful prime ministers of the Union and the SPD?
Who wants what in the GroKo cosmos and why - trying to explain:
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Union and SPD and the grand coalition: who? how? What?
