Has it just been imagined that the SPD, Saskia Esken and Norbert Walter-Borjans, recently elected two new chairpersons who had taken a clear anti-GroKo course?
No.
It is simply the bare reality that manifests itself this evening at the coalition committee in the chancellery. First of all, this means that the leaders of the Union and SPD now want to have at least a few days of rest, including the new chairman duo. Secondly, the fact that the GroKo exit is not as easy as Esken and Walter-Borjans might have imagined at times.
In any case, as reported by participants, there was no talk of the end of the coalition in the one and a half hours that were spent sausages, meatballs and potato salad in the government headquarters. In a relaxed mood, people spoke about various domestic and foreign policy issues and finally agreed on the next meeting for the end of January. And that - as in the past - you want to hold more or less regular coalition committees.
DPA
Rolf Mützenich, leader of the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag, pushes his bike to the street after the meeting and says shortly: "All is well"
"All well," says SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich when he, pushing his bike, leaves the chancellery shortly after half past eight.
One can have serious doubts about this, after everything that has happened in his party in recent months. As a reminder: Mützenich is only in office at all because Andrea Nahles resigned as group and party leader in the summer. And behind the coalition partner CDU are exhausting months. But for the moment it is exactly what all the protagonists long for: a little peace.
At least over Christmas and New Year.
There are now serious doubts about whether Esken and Walter-Borjans really want to lead their party out of the coalition. Also because they recognized how strong those in the Social Democrats are still in the government, in the parliamentary group and among the SPD prime ministers who want to continue. Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Finance Olaf Scholz, who was unsuccessful in the race for the presidency, is also still in office. But maybe the two of them will first probe the situation, they have to set up organizationally, the new duo has not even had a spokesman yet.
Whether the coalition will hold or not - in truth, this evening in the Chancellery gives no information.
Esken and Walter-Borjans brought ginger tea to their premiere in the coalition committee. The flavor note "pleasantly spicy with a slight sweetness" will then be distributed. Previously, the two sat together with the CDU chairman Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and CSU boss Markus Söder to get to know each other, the Nuremberg Söder had donated three boxes of gingerbread from his hometown. Everyone tries to be nice.
Only CSU boss Söder teases a little
But Söder also said when he appeared at the meeting: "To believe that this grand coalition would already be in the towel - I don't think so. There still has to be" hard work, "said the Prime Minister of Bavaria.
Not that evening.
Esken and Walter-Borjans, that is also stated in the main proposal just passed by the SPD party congress, want a significantly higher minimum wage and a gigantic investment package. In addition, there are demands for ambitious climate protection measures, which they obviously do not yet see fulfilled through the package that has just been renegotiated.
more on the subject
At the latest at the next coalition committee at the end of January, they will have to address this in order not to appear completely untrustworthy. And maybe by then the CDU and CSU would have sorted a little more. Just reacting to how the Social Democrats position themselves with regard to the coalition will not be enough for the Union in the long run.
Clinging together from common weakness can hardly go well for a year and a half. Especially since the CSU believes it has overcome its low and its chairman Söder feels stronger than ever. At some point he won't want to be one of the lame in Berlin.
But now there is peace.
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