Friction in Angela Merkel’s coalition

BERLIN – German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s new coalition partners accused her of riding roughshod in the run-up of talks on forming a government, in interviews published yesterday.

Leading members of the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) slammed the conservative Merkel for staking out policy positions ahead of negotiations on a roadmap for the four-year term, as clear differences emerged.’It is poor form to say what may not be discussed before the coalition talks have even begun,’ FDP deputy leader Cornelia Pieper told the daily Bild.’Apparently the Union is quite nervous. Many of them appear to be fixated on what jobs they may get,’ she said, referring to Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrat (CDU/CSU) bloc, which turned in its worst score since 1949 in Sunday’s general election.FDP general secretary Dirk Niebel questioned Merkel’s declaration that the main pillars of a reform of the healthcare system passed under the previous ‘grand coalition’ government would not be touched.He said the conservatives needed to remember that they had campaigned for the election seeking a coalition with the Free Democrats, arguing a centre-right government was best-suited to lift Germany out of its worst postwar slump.’We are extending a hand to the Union to get out of this swamp,’ he told the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper.Merkel angered the Free Democrats, whose record 14, per cent score in the election gave the alliance a majority in parliament, by drawing lines in the sand ahead of the coalition talks which are to begin on Monday.In addition to rejecting a rollback of major changes to the healthcare system, she has also ruled out axeing sector-wide minimum wage agreements or making it easier for firms to lay off workers.Merkel aims to have a new government in place in time for celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9. – Nampa-AFP