The agreement would represent Germany’s strictest migration policies in decades. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) came second in the election on Feb. 23 and is likely to become a rowdy opposition voice in the forthcoming parliament.
Some aspects of migration policy are not agreed, however. So far, the SPD is rejecting CDU demands to set up asylum processing and return centers in other countries.
Away from migration, the two parties haven’t yet agreed on defense spending. The CDU is pushing to radically increase German investment to 3.5 percent target — far above NATO’s 2 percent target — which would move Germany up the ranks of global military powers, with major implications for European defense. While the SPD says it recognizes the need to strengthen the country’s armed forces, it doesn’t want to go that far.
As U.S. President Donald Trump threatens to weaken America’s protection of Europe, Merz’s party is also pressing for the reintroduction of compulsory of military service. At this stage, the Social Democrats want to keep it voluntary. Germany got rid of compulsory military service for men in 2011.
The drafts come from cross-party working groups tackling policy areas. The groups were asked to submit their drafts on Monday, after which the respective leadership teams would enter final negotiations to stitch together a unified coalition agreement. Both sides previously publicly said they aim to conclude talks by Easter, but have since become less ambitious, saying content is more important than speed.
