Just two weeks after the start of negotiations, the CSU and Free Voters in Bavaria are about to sign their next coalition agreement. Both parties have invited committee meetings on Thursday morning to approve the contract, which is reportedly around 80 pages long. It can therefore be assumed that all key points of contention – including the division of ministries – were resolved during the last round of talks on Wednesday. However, there was no confirmation of this in the evening.
The approval of the respective committees is considered a formality. According to information from the German Press Agency, the signing of the coalition agreement was planned for Thursday afternoon in the state parliament – but there was initially no invitation for it.
At the CSU, the party executive and state parliamentary group want to discuss and decide together. “Presentation of the results of the coalition negotiations for the formation of a new Bavarian state government,” says the invitation that was sent internally. And then: “Advice and decision-making on the approval of the results of negotiations for a coalition agreement.” The state executive board and parliamentary group also want to discuss matters together with the Free Voters.
Content and collaboration
In addition to content and the allocation of ministries, both rounds will also focus on the basic form of cooperation in the government. As much as the CSU and Free Voters tried to work together constructively in the very quiet negotiations, the poor personal relationship between Söder and Free Voters leader Hubert Aiwanger put a strain on the cooperation from the start.
The tense relationship culminated in the fact that there was no joint appearance by the party leaders during the entire negotiations, no photo or other camera image. The rounds were led by the heads of the state parliamentary groups, Klaus Holetschek (CSU) and Florian Streibl (Free Voters). Söder and Aiwanger only took part in the substantive negotiations a few times, always when fundamental compromises had to be found. In terms of content, only a preamble has been announced so far, which is intended to contain a commitment to democracy and a clear demarcation against the AfD.
Negotiations and distribution
Most recently, Söder, Aiwanger, Holetschek and Streibl negotiated the distribution of the ministries on Wednesday. However, nothing about this conversation, which lasted several hours, was initially made public. In general, the allocation of ministries was always considered the most difficult part of the negotiation, as the Free Voters demanded an additional, fourth ministry from the CSU after their record election result on October 8th. Söder had categorically rejected Aiwanger’s wish to take over the agriculture department before the election.
It was also expected that the layout of the houses would change. For example, it was rumored that the Digital Ministry, which was only founded in 2018, would be relocated to another ministry, such as the Ministry of Finance and Home Affairs. There was also speculation about changes in other houses, such as housing, construction and transport or the Ministry of Agriculture.
The further schedule of the CSU and Free Voters stipulates that Söder should be re-elected Prime Minister on October 31st, one day after the inaugural session of the newly elected state parliament. The new cabinet could be sworn in as early as November 8th. The names of the ministers must also be determined by then. According to reports, this will not happen for the CSU until November 7th – for the Free Voters the names could be mentioned as early as this Thursday.
The CSU and Free Voters had already governed together in the last legislative period. After the election on October 8th, they together have a stable majority of 122 of the 203 seats in the new state parliament.
