Coalition
German coalition plans year of action for 2026
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The leaders of CDU, CSU, and SPD have declared 2026 the 'year of getting down to business' in their first coalition committee meeting this year and presented a masterplan for greater resilience. The focus is on protecting critical infrastructure following an attack on Berlin's power supply. Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized that security takes precedence over transparency.
South Africa's Government of National Unity, formed in June 2024, has shown signs of stability after overcoming early crises, but the 2026 local elections pose a significant challenge to its cohesion. Coalition partners acknowledge improved negotiations, yet ideological differences and electoral rivalries could strain relations. Preparations for the State of the Nation Address highlight both progress and persistent tensions.
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In Saxony-Anhalt, the coalition parties CDU, SPD, and FDP have approved the early transition from Minister President Reiner Haseloff to Sven Schulze. The 71-year-old Haseloff seeks to continue the black-red-yellow coalition without changes to ministry distributions. The aim is to give Schulze an incumbency advantage ahead of the 2026 state election.
Takashi Endo, parliamentary affairs chief of the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), warned that his party may leave its ruling coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) if talks on reducing House of Representatives seats falter. Endo stressed the need to enact a bill during the current parliamentary session, even if it requires extending the session beyond December 17. The LDP and JIP plan to submit a bill outlining the general framework for reductions amid ongoing negotiations.
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Lower Saxony's Minister President Olaf Lies has urged the federal black-red coalition to improve expectation management. He criticizes the impression that everything changes immediately after the government switch. Lies emphasizes that not all problems can be solved within half a year.
A Forsa poll reveals that 76 percent of Germans view a lottery system for selecting conscripts as unfair. Opinions are mixed even among potentially affected young men. The debate is straining the coalition.
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The leaders of the Union and SPD ended their coalition committee after about eight hours of deliberations. No decisions were announced initially. The meeting at Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed controversial topics like the combustion engine phase-out and citizen's income reforms.