Angela Merkel to begin tricky ‘Jamaica’ coalition talks on Wednesday
Today, Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) will begin talks with the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and Greens to form a coalition government in the Bundestag.
Dubbed the “Jamaica coalition” due to the respective black, yellow, and green colours of the three parties, Merkel has been forced to negotiate with the FDP and Greens after the CDU’s previous coalition partner, the Social Democrats, announced it would go into opposition.
The Jamaica coalition is not ideal for Merkel, however, as the centre-right FDP and left-wing Greens disagree on numerous issues. Immigration, defence spending and climate policy promise to be key sticking points in today’s negotiations.
Merkel will also be forced to reconcile the FDP’s and the Greens’ European agenda; the two parties already disagree over the issue of a common eurozone budget. With all parties ruling out a coalition with the far-right Alternative for Germany, however, expect an agreement to be reached.
Delve deeper: The German federal election: a tale of two Europeans
Start your day with an open-source intelligence briefing. Download The Daily Brief app.
