BERLIN, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The German Social Democrats (SPD) have begun staking out their conditions for the renewal of a "grand coalition" with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) on Monday.
Thorsten Schaefer-Guembel, SPD vice president, insisted that his party's tax reform plans would have to be implemented if it were to form another government under the leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU).
The SPD's electoral manifesto on taxes constituted "the basis" for any possible cooperation, Schaefer-Guembel told the newspaper "Rheinische Post", demanding higher taxes for top income earners, as well as greater efforts to combat tax evasion.
Merkel and leading CDU politicians met earlier on Sunday, deciding that they would determine their own negotiation strategy after the upcoming SPD party conference held in Berlin from December 7 until December 9.
Germany's policy towards Europe is a particular source of tension and highlights the potentially far-reaching international implications of the outcome of negotiations between the CDU and SPD.
According to German media, Merkel urged her party on Sunday night to arrive at position in response to the widely-publicized proposals for European reform made by French president Emmanuel Macron, anticipating that the SPD could demand a commitment to support Macron as a condition for their domestic legislative support.
The collapse of "Jamaica" coalition talks only a little over a week ago has thrust traditionally stable Germany into a rare moment of political crisis. Merkel's CDU has since preferred another legislative alliance with the SPD over holding re-elections or attempting to form a minority government.
"We have the firm intention to form a government with the capability to act," Daniel Guenther (CDU), governor of Schleswig-Holstein, told press on Sunday night after a four-hour consultation with leading party members.
"That (government) is the grand coalition," Guenther said. The CDU would only reassess its stance if the negotiations with the SPD failed. Earlier, the SPD had surprisingly retracted its pledge to return to the Federal Parliament's (Bundestag) opposition benches made by party leader Schulz immediately after his electoral defeat in September. At the time, the SPD, as well as the CDU and CSU seemed to have little desire for another "grand coalition".
Following the Free Democratic Party's (FDP) abandonment of "Jamaica" coalition talks with the CDU, CSU and Greens (Gruene), however, the political arithmetic in Berlin has changed dramatically.
CSU leader Horst Seehofer went as far as to describe a legislative pact between his party, the CDU and SPD as the "best option for Germany".
By contrast, Schulz and some other SPD politicians have been much more hesitant to embrace the possibility of forming another "grand coalition".
German media cited widespread concerns in the SPD that the party would emerged weakened even further from another legislative term in the shadow of veteran Chancellor Merkel.
Schulz was only persuaded to hold coalition talks with the CDU and CSU after an emergency plea by German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The first such official discussion is to take place together with Steinmeier at the presidential palace in Berlin on Thursday.
The Social Democrats appear divided as Malu Dreyer (SPD), Governor of Rhineland-Palatinate, said on the public broadcaster "ZDF" that she wanted to prevent a re-run of the "grand coalition". Instead, Dreyer proposed supporting a CDU/CSU minority government.
Frictions were also already apparent between the two parties. Volker Bouffier (CDU), Governor of Hesse, attacked the SPD for drawing red lines in an overly-enthusiastic fashion. Rather than "continuously demanding", Bouffier urged the SPD "not to overdo it".
Senior CDU politician Julia Kloeckner voiced a similar concern, calling on the SPD to compose "realistic wish-lists" despite the fact that Christmas was "only four weeks away".
