Bundestag election: long coalition negotiations threaten to slow down the EU

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Bundestag election top candidates after the election: who will govern with whom?

Photo: Sebastian Gollnow / dpa

In France there is obviously no illusion.

»New coalition hoped for by Christmas«, headlined »Le Monde« late on Sunday evening.

In the past it won't work, at least that seems to be suspected in Paris.

Because in view of the German election result, one thing seems certain: the coalition negotiations will be complicated and protracted.

Beyond that, however, it is only clear that nothing is clear - and that is especially true for Europe.

What the next federal government intends to do with Europe only happened on the sidelines during the election campaign.

"It was a serious failure by politics and the media," criticizes the European Minister of State Michael Roth (SPD).

"The federal election has massive effects on Europe, and Europe is of central importance for Germany." But whether climate protection, foreign and defense policy, migration, corona pandemic: Anyone who followed the German election campaign could get the impression that it occurs in all of these everything depends on what the Germans do.

"What should we do with them?"

That, demand leading European politicians of the German parties, must change at the latest in the coalition negotiations.

"In the election campaign, there was no radio silence about Europe, that will change the Free Democrats," says Nicola Beer, Vice President of the European Parliament and Deputy Federal Leader of the Liberals.

"All of Europe looks to Berlin."

Jens Geier, head of the German Social Democrats in the EU Parliament, said that this will soon change.

"We can only solve the major challenges in a European context," says Geier.

Geier, on the other hand, cannot imagine that the SPD will do this together with the Union: “The CDU and CSU lost massively in the election.

What should we do with them? "

Manfred Weber (CSU), the leader of the European People's Party in the EU Parliament, does not want to reunite with the SPD - and prefers a Jamaica coalition: »A future coalition of the center consisting of the Union parties, the Greens and the FDP would be for the EU the best solution, ”Weber told SPIEGEL.

There should not be "too long a hang-up" in Berlin now.

"There are very important decisions to be made in the EU for which a federal government capable of acting is necessary."

SPD man Geier, however, thinks a hanging game is likely.

"People in the Council of Ministers like to wait for Germany, and the EU Commission won't touch any major things until the new federal government is in office," says Geier.

"That could stop the EU - although we actually cannot afford to waste a lot of time, especially in climate policy."

Ska Keller, co-leader of the Greens in the European Parliament, on the other hand, is relaxed about a longer waiting period. "We are used in the EU that it can sometimes take a little longer," says Keller, referring to the Netherlands or Belgium, where coalition negotiations have recently lasted for many months. What is more important is what the next federal government stands for in terms of content. “If we form a climate government in Berlin, it must also make itself felt in Brussels in the form of an ambitious environmental policy. So far, Germany has tended to slow down in this regard. "

Martin Schirdewan, co-leader of the Left in the European Parliament, on the other hand, does not believe in significant changes in German EU policy - which is also due to the fact that, according to the projections, there will probably not be enough for a red-red-green coalition.

"For Europe, the coalition options mean either keep it up or keep it up," says Schirdewan.

"Neither a traffic light nor a Jamaica coalition would stand for the policy change that Europe needs from Germany."