Autumn harmony sought by black and red

In a recent two-day meeting, the parliamentary group leaders of the Union and Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Germany have refined common goals to get the coalition back on track. The gathering, hosted by CSU parliamentary group leader Alexander Hoffmann, was marked by an open, constructive, and critically processing exchange, according to Union parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn.

One of the key points discussed was the future of the Germany ticket, with a goal declared to continue the service beyond 2025. A fixed financing key for customers, the federal government, and the states, and a step-by-step socially acceptable increase in the user share from 2029 were outlined.

The continuation of the Germany ticket is not the only transportation policy goal. The parliamentary group leaders also confirmed the aim of a higher tariff binding, with companies needing to offer their employees industry-standard tariff conditions for public contracts of the federal government from 50,000 euros and for start-ups in the first four years of foundation from 100,000 euros.

In the realm of economic policy, the factions committed to putting Germany on a growth path. Goals include competitive energy prices, less bureaucracy, and faster planning and approval procedures. The spirit of unity and cooperation was evident, with CSU parliamentary group leader Alexander Hoffmann stating that they had created a "spirit of togetherness" during the meeting.

On the social front, a reform of the citizen's money and a pension package are expected in the next few weeks. Those who repeatedly refuse suitable work despite being able to work can expect a full loss of benefits in the future. However, there will be financial incentives for voluntary longer work, allowing those who continue working beyond the retirement age to earn up to 2,000 euros per month tax-free in addition to their pension.

In the realm of defence, against the background of the Russian threat, projects such as the law for accelerated procurement for the Bundeswehr and the law for the new military service were confirmed. The new military service will be voluntary, with the goal of achieving a total of 460,000 active soldiers and reservists.

The economic situation's impact on the stability of democracy was also discussed. Jens Spahn warned that if the economy shrinks, it automatically leads to conflicts over distribution, which can benefit populists.

The agreements from the Würzburg round with 35 participants must now be mediated in the overall factions and in the government, with the spirit of Würzburg needing to permeate the entire coalition. The parliamentary group leaders presented a six-page resolution paper with a timetable for planned legislative projects.

The meeting also touched upon international affairs. Union and SPD assure that they will do everything to enable Ukraine to defend itself against Russia and negotiate from a position of strength. New postal voting documents for the election of the Integration Council have been announced.

Looking ahead, Ministerpräsident Stephan Weil will appear as a host in Hannover next year for a Koalitionskonferenz. All the news from Hamm can be found at a specific location. The fire department in Hamm celebrated a huge party. The managing board chairs of the factions will meet in Berlin every quarter to continue discussions and work towards achieving the common goals set.

In other news, SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch expressed a positive feeling after a retreat of the parliamentary group leaderships. The parliamentary group leaders presented a six-page resolution paper with a timetable for planned legislative projects. The new coalition dispute over the succession of judges at the Federal Constitutional Court remains unclear publicly. The attempt to resolve this issue before the summer break caused a big stir and all sides have referred to internal discussions.

Lastly, Open doors at the HSHL and Hamm erFahren 2025 are upcoming events. The agreements from the Würzburg round with 35 participants must now be mediated in the overall factions and in the government, with the spirit of Würzburg needing to permeate the entire coalition. The goal is also a higher tariff binding, with companies needing to offer their employees industry-standard tariff conditions for public contracts of the federal government from 50,000 euros and for start-ups in the first four years of foundation from 100,000 euros. The spirit of unity and cooperation was evident, with the factions committing to putting Germany on a growth path, with goals including competitive energy prices, less bureaucracy, and faster planning and approval procedures.