Discussion of Work Plan by Joint Committee

The coalition committee, the central planning body of the alliance between CDU, CSU, and SPD, gathered in Berlin today following a relatively tumultuous summer break. The meeting, the first since the summer recess, was attended by key representatives from each party.

Markus Söder, the party chairman of the CSU, Alexander Dobrindt (Interior Minister), and Alexander Hoffmann (chairman of the CSU group in the Bundestag) represented the CSU. On the SPD side, Lars Klingbeil, the Deputy Chancellor and party chairman, and Matthias Miersch (parliamentary group leader) were present.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the work program for the second half of the year, with numerous issues remaining unresolved. These include social system reforms and a budget gap of several billion euros. The committee deals with matters of fundamental importance that must be coordinated between coalition partners.

Thorsten Frei, the Chancellor's Office chief, and Björn Böhning, Klingbeil's state secretary for the deputy chancellery, prepared the meetings for the committee. The chairman of the CDU at the meeting of the coalition committee was Friedrich Merz, with Chancellor Merz, Jens Spahn (parliamentary group leader), and Carsten Linnemann (general secretary) representing the CDU.

Barbara Bas, the Labor Minister and SPD Chairwoman, was the only woman in the coalition committee. The committee's role, as stated in the coalition agreement, is to bring consensus in cases of conflict. The committee is intended to meet at least once a month.

The coalition aims to agree on a list of projects to be presented at a press conference at 7 pm. The meeting follows a series of challenging months, and the committee's discussions are crucial in steering the coalition forward. The outcome of today's meeting will undoubtedly shape the course of the second half of the year for the German government.