The German Union Party, consisting of the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union, and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) announced a coalition agreement at a press conference held on the 9th.
This will mark the fifth time in German history that a grand coalition government is formed by the Union Party and SPD. Union Party's chancellor candidate Merz is expected to become the new chancellor in May.
According to the agreement, the coalition aims to alleviate the burden on German citizens and businesses through tax cuts; the coalition unanimously agreed to tighten refugee policies; the coalition agreed to establish a National Security Council in the Federal Chancellery to coordinate comprehensive security policy issues and conduct joint assessments of the situation.
Additionally, the agreement specifies the distribution of departmental responsibilities among the parties in the coalition: the Christian Democratic Union will control six departments including the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, and the Chancellery; the SPD will control seven departments including the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Defense; the Christian Social Union will control three departments including the Interior Ministry.
Merz stated at the press conference that the coalition agreement sends a strong signal to German citizens and the EU: “Germany is welcoming a strong and effective government, which is of great significance.”