The traffic light has agreed

MMore than 48 hours after the start of the first round of negotiations, the coalition parties have concluded their top-level consultations in Berlin. The results of coalition committee presented the party leaders Lars Klingbeil (SPD), Ricarda Lang (Greens) and Christian Lindner (FDP) in the evening. Accordingly, the federal government wants to significantly expand the infrastructure.

Klingbeil spoke of a “massive strengthening of the railways”, but also the strengthening of the road as well as the networks and renewable energies. Ricarda Lang became more concrete. The truck toll will be increased; 80 percent of the proceeds would be invested in the expansion of the rails for the railways. The Greens had agreed that some roads would also be built. The FDP had campaigned for this; Lindner spoke of the fact that more than 140 motorway projects should now be planned at an accelerated pace. Lang emphasized that a “solar offensive” had been agreed at the same time. Photovoltaic systems are also planned for every new construction or expansion of roads, so that road construction always uses renewable energies.

Klingbeil reiterated that infrastructure and climate protection are now proceeding at a new “Germany pace”. Lindner emphasized that the FDP had successfully opted for “technology freedom”.

Lang spoke of “by no means easy negotiations”. This is not least due to the fact that under the governments of Angela Merkel (CDU) “a lot was left undone” in terms of climate protection and planning acceleration. The traffic light “negotiated the major conflicts on behalf of society”. Lang admitted that the tone between the traffic light parties was too “rough” in the past week.

Lindner said of the controversy before the meeting: “One is silent about one another, one discusses one another.” That has now happened. Each of the three parties can “represent every point well”, but each partner also has “a special point that he or she is particularly happy about”. Klingbeil appreciated the “extremely constructive tone” of the consultations. He is happy about the resolutions; they would be “very good for the country”. Lindner said they had “made real breakthroughs”. If there is always so much going on, the traffic light should “have three-day coalition talks every month,” said the FDP leader and federal finance minister. The new decisions would have practically no impact on the federal budget.

The top meeting of the coalition began on Sunday evening at around 6.30 p.m. and was interrupted on Monday afternoon after almost 20 hours. On Tuesday, the coalition leaders then continued their deliberations from 10:20 a.m.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) had formulated high expectations of the result in the afternoon. “I’m confident that we’ll be able to produce a large workpiece there,” he said. “It’s about the greatest modernization of our economy that lies ahead of us,” the Chancellor continued. With a view to the deliberations in the coalition committee, he added: “In this discussion, the common idea is growing that we are the ones who have to do it.”

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