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1h ago

German Coalition Talks Strain Over Welfare Overhaul and Engine‑Ban Fight

Union insiders told BILD they may suspend the committee, citing an internal October 15 deadline.

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Finanzminister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) auf dem Weg zum Koalitionsausschuss im Bundeskanzleramt
Die Spitzen von Union und SPD sind am Mittwoch zu einem Koalitionsausschuss im Kanzleramt in Bderlin zusammengekommen.

Overview

  • Leaders of CDU, CSU and SPD met at the Chancellery to address disagreements on the Bürgergeld reform, the 2035 combustion‑engine phaseout and which road and rail projects get funded through 2029.
  • The Union seeks to overturn the EU engine phaseout, the SPD has signaled openness to flexibilities, and an auto industry meeting with stakeholders is scheduled for Thursday.
  • WELT reports the goal is a "committee of results," with SPD leader and social minister Bärbel Bas expected to present a Bürgergeld draft in the coming days after talks on tougher sanctions for rule violations.
  • BILD reports Union figures accuse the SPD of blocking core projects and allege internal SPD tensions involving Bas and Lars Klingbeil.
  • BILD further reports the Union has floated letting the committee "burst" for a 24‑hour pause, demanded decisions by Thursday morning, and that Chancellor Friedrich Merz set October 15 as the cutoff to pass key laws this year.