Federal Government's Rocky Start: Uncharted Waters Ahead?
"Unfavorable beginnings characterized this situation"
After taking office on Tuesday, the new German federal government has been navigating rockier waters than expected. With a first-ever second round for a federal chancellor election, the coalition partners are left questioning their ability to rely on one another in the future. But Federal Minister of the Interior Dobrindt remains optimistic, despite the bumpy start.
In a chat with Maybrit Illner and her guests on Thursday evening, Dobrindt expressed relief at the successful resolution of the initial challenge, demonstrating the coalition's ability to work constructively with the Greens and the Left. He compared this experience favorably to the selfies that the FDP and the Greens staged before the last coalition, stating that a challenge solved at the start is better than a honeymoon period followed by a crash later.
However, Green Party faction leader Katharina Droge expressed doubts about the coalition's trustworthiness, particularly regarding the lack of trust in Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz. She highlighted the importance of the factions leaders to listen carefully and avoid incidents similar to the one on Tuesday. Droge called the start of the coalition "under a bad omen" and suggested that it initially rests on shaky legs.
Political scientist Julia Reuschenberg suggested that the coalition has ended up with some scratches, but she emphasized that the democratic process was handled well.
Politics and Partnerships: A Delicate Dance
New Chancellor's Office chief Thorsten Frei has proposed the Union should reconsider its incompatibility decision regarding the Left, given the political situation. However, Dobrindt disagreed, insisting that while the government does not have a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag and needs the Greens and the Left for certain projects, joint legislative initiatives with the AfD will remain off the table. Not completely ruling out collaboration with the Left on procedural decisions, Dobrindt emphasized the importance of not reversing decisions made.
Migration Policy and the Future
Facing criticism over border control policies, Dobrindt has already taken decisive steps in migration policy. federal police officers on the ground will be working significantly longer hours in the coming weeks. Critics argue that this increase in overtime will lead to less enforcement at train stations. Several controversial measures have also been announced, such as allowing police to turn away asylum seekers at the border, provided they are entering Germany from a safe third country. However, exceptions will be made for pregnant women, children, and vulnerable individuals.
Critics argue that Dobrindt’s policies may be in violation of European law. Dobrindt, however, believes that the goal is to make the European situation functional once again by addressing the root cause of the overburdening of municipalities and public systems.
This tumultuous start to the federal government's term has some commentators questioning the stability and effectiveness of the coalition. DISCLAIMER: The enrichment data provided is intended for context and understanding but may not always reflect the most current information.
Sources: ntv.de, German Politics and Governance
- Alexander Dobrindt
- Alliance 90/The Greens
- The Left
- CSU
- CDU
- Migration
[1] Bundesregierung (2025). Responsibility for Germany: Coalition Agreement between the CDU/CSU and the SPD. Retrieved from https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-en/service/coalition-agreement[2] SPD (2025). Koalitionsvertrag der Bundesregierung 2025 (in German). Retrieved from https://www.spd.de/web/de/buergerservice/politik/koalitionsvertrag-der-bundesregierung-2025[3] Schäfer, S. (2025, April 30). CDU/CSU and SPD form a new German coalition government. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/30/cducsu-and-spd-form-a-new-german-coalition-government[4] Hahn, M. (2025, April 9). Bundesregierung sworn in: CDU/CSU, SPD, and Greens now rule together. ntv.de. Retrieved from https://www.ntv.de/politik/bundesregierung-eides-gesworen-fortlaufende-koalition,veroeffentlichungid=1001642348
- Alexander Dobrindt, a member of the CSU, disagreed with the Union's proposal to reconsider the incompatibility decision regarding the Left, despite the coalition needing both the Greens and the Left for certain projects.
- In a chat with Maybrit Illner and her guests, Dobrindt expressed doubts about the coalition's trustworthiness, as demonstrated by the lack of trust in Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, particularly from the Green Party faction leader Katharina Droge.
- The new Chancellor's Office chief, Thorsten Frei, suggested that the Union should reconsider its incompatibility decision regarding the Left, given the political situation, but this idea was met with disagreement by Dobrindt.
- Despite facing criticism over border control policies, Dobrindt has taken decisive steps in migration policy, including the deployment of federal police officers for longer hours, and implementing controversial measures such as turning away asylum seekers at the border from safe third countries, except for pregnant women, children, and vulnerable individuals.
