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Michael Rothe
Very few people took the call from Saxony's chambers of industry and commerce seriously. "We want a seat at the table in the coalition negotiations," demanded the Dresden, Chemnitz and Leipzig Chambers of Industry and Commerce shortly after the state elections in September - knowing full well that they had no right to do so.
In anticipation of difficult government formation, the interest groups of 250,000 member companies with a good 900,000 employees were very concerned that the interests of the economy could fall by the wayside. Nevertheless, they want to introduce 15 core demands into the government program. Among other things, the chambers are calling for a new structure for the ministries - for example, that the area of employment be transferred to the Ministry of Social Affairs. If the focus is really on the economy, it doesn't matter who is in charge of the ministry, they say.
Now the chambers are actually involved in exploring a possible blackberry alliance. There are no legal concerns. "Coalition negotiations are not subject to any legal requirements," says legal expert Sophie Schönberger. They are purely political talks. "The negotiating partners are therefore free to bring in whoever they want," says the professor of public law, art and cultural law at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf.
IHK: The brash appearance was calculated
Of course, Dresden's IHK spokesperson Lars Fiehler clarifies that they are not really sitting at the table in the literal sense. Rather, the representatives of the CDU, SPD and BSW have formed seven working groups - from education and science to budget, finance and bureaucracy. "The parties have appointed experts for each committee who will prepare the content of the topics and thus create an editorial basis for the actual coalition negotiations," explains Fiehler.
Those teams of IHK employees and company representatives had set themselves the task of "entering into discussions with representatives from the parties in all working groups relevant to the economy - and separately for each party. Due to the existing contacts with the CDU and SPD, this was comparatively easy. Initial talks were held with the majority of as yet unknown players from the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance, "but these were more about getting to know each other than any concrete, professional exchange". The two parties have assured each other that they will maintain confidentiality regarding the course and content of the talks.
The "somewhat brisker and always factual demeanor compared to previous contacts" was noticeable, says IHK Managing Director Fiehler. "That was definitely our intention." However, the chamber is "aware that not all demands fall on fertile ground".
"Of course we expect our positions to be included in the exploratory and coalition talks," says Dresden's Chamber of Skilled Crafts. This is not yet the case in the key issues paper, as there are hardly any substantial economic issues. The economy must once again become a top priority, they say. With 21,000 businesses, a good 120,000 employees and 5,600 trainees, the skilled trades in and around Dresden see themselves as the backbone of the SME sector. The demands also include better framework conditions in both urban and rural areas, strategic expansion of transport routes, fast internet and mobile communications, mandatory career guidance and two compulsory internships at grammar schools, systematic recruitment of skilled workers at home and abroad, a higher bonus for master craftsmen, less bureaucracy and a halt to staff increases in public administration. The results of the exploratory talks should be available by Thursday.
Federal government delivers "a tragedy"
The federal government in Berlin currently seems to be a long way away from this in view of the recent disputes over economic policy and the federal budget for the coming year. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the FDP recently held competing economic meetings, and the Liberal Finance Minister Christian Lindner then questioned the decisions of his own coalition with an allegedly leaked policy paper.
"It is a tragedy that the governing coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP in Berlin, which was once launched as a 'progress coalition', is currently performing," says the President of the Saxon Crafts Association, describing their appearance at the SZ's request. Instead of pulling together and working out constructive solutions to accumulated problems, frustrating bickering has dominated among the coalition partners for weeks, says Uwe Nostitz. The traffic light must take action in the short term, the situation is no longer tenable. "If there are no more ideas, then the only option is to end this cooperation," says Saxony's chief craftsman.
The head of the Dresden Chamber of Industry and Commerce takes a similar view. "The competing economic summits raise more questions than answers," says Lukas Rohleder. They "not only paint a picture of fragmentation and election campaign tactics, but above all they do not do justice to the explosive situation in which our economy finds itself". In order to avert lasting damage to Germany as a business location, a clever "and above all coordinated government plan is needed, which is based on a solid budget and, in addition to a growth initiative, has real deregulation and planning acceleration at its core," says Rohleder.
