Black-Green coalition should be in place at the end of June

Created: 05/25/2022Updated: 05/25/2022 17:33

Daniel Günther (CDU), Prime Minister of Schleswig-Holstein, makes a statement.

© Daniel Reinhardt/dpa/archive image

If only the mood of the negotiators had anything to do with it, it would be a piece of cake.

But the CDU and the Greens in Schleswig-Holstein have to bring together quite different programs.

And the timetable for the black-green coalition in the north is ambitious.

Kiel - The CDU and the Greens in Schleswig-Holstein have started their negotiations on a joint government alliance with a decidedly optimistic attitude.

"We have the ambition to describe very specifically in the coalition agreement what we have in front of us in the next five years," said Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) on Wednesday in Kiel.

We go into the talks with great respect and look forward to bringing something big together in the coming weeks.

The parties had completed their explorations on Tuesday.

After that, a party conference of the Greens and the CDU state executive voted to start negotiations.

The Greens were also confident.

"I'm going in with a good feeling now because we're well prepared," said Finance Minister and Greens' top candidate Monika Heinold.

Your co-lead candidate Aminata Touré emphasized that you are in good spirits and are going into the negotiations "with a totally blatant respect".

She found the mood very good and constructive.

In addition to Prime Minister Günther, the CDU negotiating delegation includes Education Minister Karin Prien, Interior Minister Sabine Sütterlin-Waack and the parliamentary group leader Tobias Koch.

The green negotiating team consists of the state executive of the party, the first on the list for state elections and members of the Bundestag and the European Parliament.

The CDU and the Greens are negotiating on the basis of a key issues paper that they drew up during the soundings.

In the three-page document, they laid down principles for a governing coalition.

Among other things, the subject blocks of security, economy, health, mobility as well as day-care centers and schools were listed there.

Specifically, the parties are aiming for more ambitious climate protection goals and a faster expansion of renewable energies.

It was said that Schleswig-Holstein should become the first climate-neutral industrial state.

Heinold expected exciting debates in the coming weeks.

It's not about presenting text modules and ticking them off, said the Greens politician.

But she is sure that something good can come of it.

It was initially not clear on which issues the negotiations could become difficult.

Internal security, agriculture and transport are among observers as possible sticking points.

Günther was covered in this context: It is not yet possible to say where possible difficulties lie.

"I think it's too early to speculate now."

The 48-year-old had already announced the goal of forming a government within a few weeks after the end of the exploratory talks.

After the meeting on Wednesday, which was announced as a "preparatory meeting", the timetable became apparent for the first time: There will be ten working groups, to which the two parties will each send five negotiators.

The delegations also want to meet once a week in large groups.

They are aiming for the end of the talks on June 22nd.

Things could then go quickly: if the party conferences of the CDU and the Greens approve the coalition agreement, it should be signed on June 28th.

A day later, the prime minister would be elected in the Kiel state parliament.

Everyone is in good spirits to negotiate a really good coalition agreement for the country in this timetable, said Günther.

In the state elections on May 8, the CDU missed an absolute majority in the state parliament by just one seat.

Günther initially tried to enable the Jamaica coalition of the CDU, Greens and FDP, which has been in power since 2017, to continue.

However, the Greens and FDP could not agree on this during exploratory talks.

Only one of the two partners is needed to form a government.

In the further course, the CDU and the Greens agreed on coalition negotiations.

Together they have a two-thirds majority in the state parliament.

dpa