Germany's SPD, FDP and Greens unveil governing coalition deal

[Flankerl]

Germany's Social Democrats, Greens and Free Democrats have concluded coalition talks, the parties say. This means the country will likely have a new government well before Christmas.


The three parties planning to form a government in Germany announced at a press conference Wednesday in Berlin that they have finalized a deal on a governing coalition.

The deal comes after 21 representatives of the three parties — the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), the environmentalist Greens and the business-focused Free Democrats (FDP) — met for the concluding negotiations earlier in the day.

The Social Democrat (SPD) chancellor candidate, Olaf Scholz, said the three parties reached a deal to form new government that will end the Merkel era. The negotiations were carried out in a "friendly but intense atmosphere, an atmosphere full of trust," Scholz said.

Green Party co-leader Robert Habeck said reconciling "welfare with climate protection" will underlie policies of the new government.

FDP leader Christian Lindner said "we take on responsibility for a country in a dire situation" and that there is a "there is a will and desire for change" in Germany.

"It is our remit to modernize this country together," he added,


What are some of the policies in the deal?

• The parties agreed that Germany will ideally phase out coal by 2030
  
  
• Increase rail freight transport by 25% and to have at least 15 million electric cars on the roads by 2030
• Push for a European air travel surcharge like the one that is already in place in Germany
• Immigrants able to apply for citizenship after five years and allow dual citizenship, a huge change for thousands of ethnic Turks, many of whom remain foreign nationals after decades in Germany
• Increasing the minimum wage to €12
• Plans to legalize the regulated sale of cannabis
• They have also aligned on their aim to build 400,000 new apartments a year to fight a housing crisis, lower the voting age to 16 and create a points-based immigration system to draw in qualified workers

Germany's SPD, FDP and Greens unveil governing coalition deal | DW | 24.11.2021

 

[Yerda]

All those proposals sound good to me but these two especially:

The parties agreed that Germany will ideally phase out coal by 2030

They have also aligned on their aim to build 400,000 new apartments a year to fight a housing crisis

Are the appartments in question social housing or more private stock?

 

[Estro Felino]

When Frau Merkel leaves the Kanzlei, I will give a party.
I think it will become a national holiday in my country. Liberation day.

 

[Altfish]

Germany's Social Democrats, Greens and Free Democrats have concluded coalition talks, the parties say. This means the country will likely have a new government well before Christmas.


The three parties planning to form a government in Germany announced at a press conference Wednesday in Berlin that they have finalized a deal on a governing coalition.

The deal comes after 21 representatives of the three parties — the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), the environmentalist Greens and the business-focused Free Democrats (FDP) — met for the concluding negotiations earlier in the day.

The Social Democrat (SPD) chancellor candidate, Olaf Scholz, said the three parties reached a deal to form new government that will end the Merkel era. The negotiations were carried out in a "friendly but intense atmosphere, an atmosphere full of trust," Scholz said.

Green Party co-leader Robert Habeck said reconciling "welfare with climate protection" will underlie policies of the new government.

FDP leader Christian Lindner said "we take on responsibility for a country in a dire situation" and that there is a "there is a will and desire for change" in Germany.

"It is our remit to modernize this country together," he added,


What are some of the policies in the deal?

• The parties agreed that Germany will ideally phase out coal by 2030
  
  
• Increase rail freight transport by 25% and to have at least 15 million electric cars on the roads by 2030
• Push for a European air travel surcharge like the one that is already in place in Germany
• Immigrants able to apply for citizenship after five years and allow dual citizenship, a huge change for thousands of ethnic Turks, many of whom remain foreign nationals after decades in Germany
• Increasing the minimum wage to €12
• Plans to legalize the regulated sale of cannabis
• They have also aligned on their aim to build 400,000 new apartments a year to fight a housing crisis, lower the voting age to 16 and create a points-based immigration system to draw in qualified workers

Germany's SPD, FDP and Greens unveil governing coalition deal | DW | 24.11.2021

What a sensible country Germany is; if only the UK could have a sensible, negotiated government

 

[Flankerl]

Are the appartments in question social housing or more private stock?

Here you go, directly from the Coalition agreement.

Spoiler: Building and living

Housing is a basic need and as diverse as people. We will design the building and housing of the future to be affordable, climate-neutral, sustainable, barrier-free, innovative and with vibrant public spaces. In doing so, we have an eye on the diversity of framework conditions and forms of living and the individual needs of people in rural and urban areas.

To this end, we are launching a new departure in construction, housing and urban development policy. Our goal is to build 400,000 new homes per year, including 100,000 publicly subsidized homes.
To this end, we will continue the federal government's financial support for social housing construction, including social subsidies for owner-occupied homes, and increase funding.

We will conclude an "affordable housing alliance" with all key players. We will promptly launch a new non-profit housing scheme with tax incentives and investment subsidies, thus generating new momentum in the construction and permanent social commitment of affordable housing. In accordance with the principles of economic viability, it should complement the structure of the established housing industry without disadvantaging it.

We will establish a Federal/State program for student housing, young housing and housing for apprentices. We will launch a construction and investment offensive that will create the conditions for creating and maintaining additional housing quickly and inexpensively, thereby giving both the construction and real estate industry long-term planning prospects and tenants security.

We will introduce a construction, housing cost and climate check. We want to help municipalities introduce registers of potential sites.
We will continue the work of the Construction Cost Reduction Commission as part of the Alliance.
We will integrate the non-railroad properties of the Federal Railways into the Federal Agency for Real Estate Tasks (BImA) and align the BImA with our construction, housing, urban development and ecological goals. We will give BImA more freedom and enable it to take out loans. In the future, BImA should be able to invest and build itself and continue to support municipal construction. To this end, we want to concentrate responsibility for planning, construction and operation of federal buildings and federal real estate at BImA.

 

[Kooky]

When Frau Merkel leaves the Kanzlei, I will give a party.
I think it will become a national holiday in my country. Liberation day.

You do realize that the new coalition is going to be considerably more left to the center than Merkel's coalition, especially in questions of immigration and the concept of ethnostates, do you?

 

[Flankerl]

Page 130 will break certain users

Spoiler: Future of the European Union

We use the conference on the future of Europe for reforms. We support the necessary treaty changes. The conference should lead to a constitutional convention and to the further development of a federal European state, which is decentralised and organised according to the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality and based on the Charter of Fundamental Rights. We want to strengthen the European Parliament (EP), e.g. with regard to the right of initiative; preferably in the treaties, otherwise inter-institutionally.
We will give priority to the Community method again, but lead the way with individual member states where necessary. We support a uniform European electoral law with partly transnational lists and a binding system of leading candidates. If there is no new direct election act by the summer of 2022, Germany will agree to the direct election act from 2018 based on a government draft.

 

[Estro Felino]

You do realize that the new coalition is going to be considerably more left to the center than Merkel's coalition, especially in questions of immigration and the concept of ethnostates, do you?

...yes...more leftist...and so kinder to other States (like mine)

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Interesting if a more climate progressive Germany leads to additional pressure on Australia from the EU.

I've been of the opinion for a while now that our policies here will eventually lead to negative economic outcomes (and not just negative climate outcomes). This might assist in that.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Germany's Social Democrats, Greens and Free Democrats have concluded coalition talks, the parties say. This means the country will likely have a new government well before Christmas.


The three parties planning to form a government in Germany announced at a press conference Wednesday in Berlin that they have finalized a deal on a governing coalition.

The deal comes after 21 representatives of the three parties — the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), the environmentalist Greens and the business-focused Free Democrats (FDP) — met for the concluding negotiations earlier in the day.

The Social Democrat (SPD) chancellor candidate, Olaf Scholz, said the three parties reached a deal to form new government that will end the Merkel era. The negotiations were carried out in a "friendly but intense atmosphere, an atmosphere full of trust," Scholz said.

Green Party co-leader Robert Habeck said reconciling "welfare with climate protection" will underlie policies of the new government.

FDP leader Christian Lindner said "we take on responsibility for a country in a dire situation" and that there is a "there is a will and desire for change" in Germany.

"It is our remit to modernize this country together," he added,


What are some of the policies in the deal?

• The parties agreed that Germany will ideally phase out coal by 2030
  
  
• Increase rail freight transport by 25% and to have at least 15 million electric cars on the roads by 2030
• Push for a European air travel surcharge like the one that is already in place in Germany
• Immigrants able to apply for citizenship after five years and allow dual citizenship, a huge change for thousands of ethnic Turks, many of whom remain foreign nationals after decades in Germany
• Increasing the minimum wage to €12
• Plans to legalize the regulated sale of cannabis
• They have also aligned on their aim to build 400,000 new apartments a year to fight a housing crisis, lower the voting age to 16 and create a points-based immigration system to draw in qualified workers

Germany's SPD, FDP and Greens unveil governing coalition deal | DW | 24.11.2021

A unified Germany huh?

Well let's hope it's a good one this time around.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Page 130 will break certain users

Is there still desire in Europe for political union and not only economic union? I can understand. In my opinion Mexico, USA and Canada ought to consider something like this not because it would be better. It wouldn't be comfortable or pleasant. it would, however, be an investment in the future.

 

[Heyo]

Interesting if a more climate progressive Germany leads to additional pressure on Australia from the EU.

I've been of the opinion for a while now that our policies here will eventually lead to negative economic outcomes (and not just negative climate outcomes). This might assist in that.

European countries have been leading in promises for a more sustainable economy, hoping that other countries follow the example only to be outperformed by China and the USA (yes, you read that correctly) in actual change.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

European countries have been leading in promises for a more sustainable economy, hoping that other countries follow the example only to be outperformed by China and the USA (yes, you read that correctly) in actual change.

Again, I'm not so much judging the performance of countries, or their commitment to climate change (on this occasion). I'm talking more about the possible economic outlook for countries like Australia. A carbon tarrif (for example) might impact us pretty heavily even if those countries establishing it are using it in a punitive manner to promote their own agendas, rather than to truly seek good climate outcomes.

And to be clear, I'm not saying that's what they're doing either. My point, ultimately, is that a lot of the talk in Australia has been about protecting existing industries, jobs and towns, versus protecting the environment. I think there is a completely valid topic around emergent industries, and real economic impacts of not being progressive enough in this area which has been underrepresented in our debates here.