Coalition treaty without major surprises Draft coalition treaty without major surprises By and large the draft coalition treaty is just a lengthy, more detailed version of the paper presented as result of the exploratory talks. The three parties now present their ideas and projects in 14 chapters on some 170Read More →
Ballot is still a major hurdle The ballot is still a major hurdle on the way to a renewed Groko, given the widespread reservation among the SPD. The SPD leadership team will campaign decidedly for the intended coalition and they indeed have something to offer. While the CDU/CSU has largelyRead More →
Strong aversion to debt This considerable propensity to save is just one side of the typically German approach to finances. The other side is a strong aversion to debt. As a result, households and non-financial companies have a combined debt level of approximately 100% of GDP. All other industrialised countriesRead More →
Political reality does not follow coalition Political reality does not follow coalition agreements. This grand coalition will need to show its capacity to govern not only in implementing the agreement but also beyond. It might become difficult for Merkel to manage a government with key portfolios held by SPD membersRead More →
Infrastructure investment high on the agenda Infrastructure investment high on the agenda. The coalition will spend about EUR 18 bn on education and digitalisation over the next term. The bulk of the funds to finance this initiative (EUR 12 bn) shall be generated from revenues from the allocation of UMTSRead More →
.Groko coalition treaty More spending than strategy — At first glance Europe looks like the big winner in the coalition agreement. The coalition commits to a more proactive policy course alongside France including the transformation of the ESM and preparedness to spend more money on Europe. However, in large parts,Read More →
Upper limit on immigration For the CSU, however, the upper limit on immigration (of 200,000 people p.a.) has become part of its mantra and therefore the party will stick to it. As an alternative to the common platform, it will become a major element of its own supplementary platform, theRead More →
Current account surpluses attributable to more than just the weak euro Critics of Germany’s trade surplus often point to the introduction of the euro and the Agenda 2010 reforms as the causes of this trend. However, one look at history shows that Germany also generated export surpluses at times whenRead More →
Anchor for a common campaign Both sister parties have emphasised to primarily promote the conservatives’ own attractiveness. As an anchor for a common campaign a common election platform shall be launched. The platform is likely to focus on external and internal security, (income) tax reductions, support for families, prosperity andRead More →
Schulz has had an impressive start And in fact, Schulz has had an impressive start which also has benefited his party. According to recent surveys (Infratest dimap, Emnid) the SPD’s popularity rating has jumped by 5 to 6pps (to 28% and 29% in the respective surveys) while the CDU/CSU, theRead More →
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