Coalition signals change as Merz prepares to lead Germany
The Christian Democratic parties CDU and CSU, along with the SPD, signed a coalition agreement on Monday in Berlin, serving as the programmatic basis for their joint government. The vote on CDU leader Friedrich Merz's candidacy for chancellor and the swearing-in of his government is scheduled for Tuesday.
The agreement was signed by Merz for the CDU, both chairpersons Lars Klingbeil and Saskia Esken for the SPD, and Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Soeder as a representative of the CSU.
Before signing, Merz announced that the new government, if elected by the Bundestag, would immediately start working to "change Germany for the better." He emphasized that the government would provide the country with reforms and investments. He also announced a plan for Germany to play a greater international role, especially in Europe.
Esken highlighted that one of the coalition's main tasks would be to combat the extreme right. "We must put an end to right-wing ghosts," she stated.
The coalition partners earlier announced their candidates for ministerial positions. The vice chancellor and finance minister will be SPD chairman Lars Klingbeil. Johann Wadephul from the CDU will take on the foreign ministry portfolio, and the interior ministry will go to leading CSU politician Alexander Dobrindt. Social Democrat Boris Pistorius, currently the most popular German politician, will stay on as defense minister.
The negotiations among the three parties following the Bundestag elections on February 23 concluded in early April. The agreement was then approved by all coalition partners. In an online referendum conducted by the SPD among all party members, 84 percent of participants supported the agreement. The main tasks outlined in the 146-page agreement are overcoming the economic crisis and combating illegal immigration.
The German economy has been in recession for three years. The new government's proposed tax reliefs for entrepreneurs are expected to help revitalize the economy. Although the number of people applying for asylum is declining, German citizens still consider it too high.
In 2024, nearly 230,000 foreigners filed asylum requests, which is 100,000 fewer than the previous year. Illegal immigration remains a concern, and the new government announced stricter controls and the repatriation of individuals without valid entry documents. The coalition partners have also pledged to strengthen relations with Poland and revive trilateral cooperation within the Weimar Triangle.
A challenge for the new government: Public sentiment hits rock bottom
Even before the coalition's official formation, the three parties pushed through a constitutional change in the Bundestag allowing for unlimited increases in defense spending and the creation of a special fund for infrastructure investment totaling €500 ($567) billion.
The Christian Democratic parties won the parliamentary elections with 28.6 percent of the vote. The Social Democrats in the previous government suffered a significant defeat, obtaining only 16.4 percent, their worst post-war result. A coalition of CDU/CSU and SPD was the only option to form a majority government through democratic center parties. Both Christian Democrats and Social Democrats rule out cooperation with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which secured second place with 20.8 percent.
The chancellor and his government must face a pessimistic public sentiment from the start. In ZDF television's "Political Barometer" survey, 56 percent of respondents negatively assessed Merz's nomination for chancellor, while only 38 percent supported the decision. Support for the parties forming the coalition has declined compared to election results. Currently, 27 percent want to vote for the CDU/CSU and 15 percent for the SPD, meaning that if elections were held this past Sunday, the coalition would not have a majority.
