Groppin' Together, Yet ... a Bumpy Ride for the New Feds: Friedman's Take on the Coalition's Foundation of Mistrust
Coalition of Skepticism: Black-Red Initiate with Underlying Distrust (according to Friedman) - Alliance of Mistrust Begins: Black-Red Partnership
Michel Friedman, a seasoned publicist, eyed the tumultuous first round of Friedrich Merz's (CDU) Chancellor race as a stark manifestation of a much deeper issue. In a candid conversation with the German Press Agency at an event in Potsdam, Friedman accused the new government of setting sail on shaky ground, a "coalition of distrust."
Merz, with the votes of the Greens and the Left, just barely clinched the Chancellor position in the second round on Tuesday. Without the consent of these opposition parties, the second round would've been delayed at least until Friday. That's democracy for ya!
Friedman believes that the new Chancellor will continually grapple with trust issues since he'll be second-guessing his own majorities. The publicist hopes Merz comes out swinging, if you will, because a stable government is the bee's knees for our lovely nation—especially when it's backed by a majority in parliament (this democracy thing ain't no walk in the park!).
Friedman, a former long-time member of the CDU, gave up his card after the joint migration policy vote in the Bundestag between Union and AfD in January. Quite the wild ride!
- Michel Friedman
- Publicist
- Former CDU member
- Chancellor Election
- Friedrich Merz (CDU)
- Coalition
- CDU/CSU and SPD
- Potsdam
- Democracy
- Federal Republic of Germany
- German Press Agency
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The coalition government, consisting of the CDU/CSU and SPD, has embarked on a journey marked by both optimism and criticism. The formation of this coalition agreement on May 5, 2025, represented a commitment to cooperation on key issues like economic growth, defense, and migration[1][2]. However, the coalition's rocky start has drawn criticism for favoring business interests over social policies[3]. The agreement has been characterized as tipping the scales toward conservative policies, leading to concerns among some observers[3][4].
- Michel Friedman, a former CDU member and publicist, criticized the new coalition government, stating that it has set sail on shaky ground due to a lack of trust.
- In a candid conversation with the German Press Agency, Friedman accused the coalition of being a "coalition of distrust."
- The newly elected Chancellor, Friedrich Merz of the CDU, will likely face continuous trust issues, as he'll be second-guessing his own majorities, according to Friedman.
- The community policy, particularly the migration policy, has been a point of contention and criticism for the coalition government, with some observers expressing concerns over the favoring of business interests over social policies.
