Berlin: New coalition almost in place.

In the end, things went a little faster than expected. On Tuesday afternoon, the CDU/CSU and SPD reached the final phase of their coalition negotiations. In the evening, it became apparent that the chief negotiators were actually on the home stretch to finalize the coalition agreement.

Details are to be presented on Wednesday afternoon. Preparations for the "sober and factual" presentation of the coalition agreement are already underway. The Marie Elisabeth Lüders House in Berlin is being discussed as the venue. In the past few days, the necessary budget savings, possible reforms to the social systems, and financial policy have been the main topics of discussion between the negotiators. Despite the sticking points, the mood was constructive, according to reports.

Little has yet emerged from the talks. However, according to information available to Table.Briefings, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), for example, is to remain an independent ministry. The long-disputed migration policy has also apparently been united. According to negotiating circles, this was already achieved on Monday evening.

In the end, the hardest part is said to have been tax and budget policy. Here, too, no details were initially disclosed. However, until the end, one possible solution was considered to be a variant in which tax relief for lower and middle incomes and gradually also for companies would be agreed. Possibly combined with a small tax rate increase for top incomes, which, with simultaneous relief for all, would de facto mean a tiny increase for the richest at best. The SPD had insisted until the last minute that the rates for top incomes should not be lowered but that the tax on the rich should be increased. The CDU/CSU would only agree to this if corporate taxes were reduced at the same time and the overall tax burden in Germany did not increase, it was now said.

Finally, the heads of the SPD and CDU/CSU also wanted to distribute the ministries. However, it initially remained unclear whether these results would also be announced on Wednesday. Stefan Braun, Michael Bröcker and Horand Knaup