


The coalition promised to allow dual citizenship and simplify the process of acquiring German nationality, a huge change for thousands of ethnic Turks, many of whom remain foreign citizens after decades in Germany. The coalition wants to work with Britain on foreign and security policy. The UK was described in the document as "one of Germany's closest partners outside the EU". Some Social Democrats had previously opposed doing so.įrom one bloc to another, and the Greens will have the right to nominate the country's European Commissioner if the Commission President is not from Germany - which she currently is. The Defence Ministry plans to phase it out between 20 as it is expensive to maintain and spare parts are difficult to find.Īn agreement to arm the next generation of German military drones was also struck. The German Air Force has been flying the jet since the 1980s. The new coalition will aim to replace the German Air Force's ageing Tornado fighter jet, the only Bundeswehr plane fitted to carry US nuclear bombs. "As long as nuclear weapons play a role in Nato's strategic concept, Germany has an interest in participating in strategic discussions and planning processes," the agreement document says, referring to Berlin's seat on Nato's Nuclear Planning Group. It had not been clear how the incoming government would handle the issue, as some politicians in the new coalition oppose Berlin's participation in the nuclear-sharing deal. Germany does not possess nuclear weapons but hosts US nuclear bombs that German Tornado fighter jets are meant to carry to targets during a conflict. The coalition is sticking to Berlin's longstanding foreign policy principles of maintaining close ties with Washington and with EU countries, especially France, while seeking dialogue with Russia where possible. Germany will remain part of Nato's nuclear-sharing agreement under the new government, a move it believes will prevent a rift in the Western military alliance at a time of rising tension with Russia. The FDP will have the keys to the German Treasury under the pact.
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Germany's Free Democratic Party leader Christian Lindner (L) next to prospective Chancellor Olaf Scholz (C) and the co-leader of the Greens Annalena Baerbock. There was also a pledge to build 400,000 apartments a year. The fiscal rectitude at the core of the agreement was somewhat offset by a commitment to raise the minimum wage to 12 euros ($13.45) per hour from 9.6 euros, resulting in a pay rise for around 10 million people. The coalition also agreed to strengthen the European Union's economic and monetary union and signalled an openness to reform the bloc's fiscal rules, also known as the Stability and Growth Pact. The pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) will run the Finance Ministry in the next government, so it seems likely these policy pledges will be kept. With the public purse under sustained and intensive use to combat the coronavirus pandemic, the coalition pledged to return to strict debt limits in the constitution from 2023 onwards.Īt the behest of the Free Democrats, they will not raise taxes or loosen curbs on running up debt, making financing a central issue. The coalition also backed creating carbon trading for heat and mobility in the EU. This funding will only stop once a total transition from coal has been achieved. The coalition will also seek effective carbon leakage protection measures and ensure the price of CO2 won't fall below 60 tonnes per euro, a policy aimed partly at promoting electric vehicles.įrom Januit will pay a renewable energy support fee from the budget, not consumer levies. Heavily influenced by the Greens, the agreement promised a faster roll-out of carbon-free power capacity, more ambitious carbon emissions prices to incentivise a quick exit from fossil fuels and more aggressive support for a hydrogen economy,Ī central plank of the pledge will see rail freight transport increase by 25 per cent and at least 15 million electric cars on the roads by 2030.Īlready agreed to in a provisional deal in October were pledges to put solar panels on every suitable new roof and use two per cent of Germany's territory for wind energy. Here are the headline policies announced, divided into these five key areas: Leftists, environmentalists and business-friendly liberals are represented in the pact and their presence is reflected in Wednesday's policy announcements. "The FDP will lead finance, justice, transport and digital issues and education and research." "The Greens will lead the following ministries: foreign affairs and economy and climate protection" as well as family affairs, environment and agriculture, said the pact.
