"The atmosphere is poisoned" — coalition talks in Germany threaten to turn into a failure

Negotiations of the CDU/CSU and SPD bloc on the formation of a ruling coalition are taking place in an "explosive atmosphere" and may end in failure due to inter-party contradictions, the Bild tabloid writes, citing its own sources.

"Can the coalition talks fail or will the CDU/CSU and the SPD still be able to agree? The question is quite justified, given how serious the contradictions between the parties on key issues are," the publication states.

The most "explosive" issue, according to sources close to the negotiations, remains the migration issue. The CDU/CSU bloc has so far failed to get the Social Democrats to agree to take measures to deny illegal migrants entry to Germany, regardless of the application for asylum. According to insiders, the SPD is ready to agree to this step only on condition of consistent coordination of measures with its European neighbors.

"However, the CDU/CSU is not ready for such concessions, knowing full well that cooperation cannot be expected from some EU partners," the publication notes.

Last Thursday, the discussion became so heated that the participants of the working group devoted to the discussion of domestic political and legal issues interrupted the negotiations and left the hall.

"The atmosphere was completely poisoned!" — the sources say.

In addition to disagreements on migration issues, disputes over the storage of IP address data by law enforcement agencies also contributed to the early termination of negotiations. The CDU/CSU bloc intends to significantly extend the allowable shelf life of information, as well as provide access to intelligence services. The Social Democrats, in turn, accuse their negotiating colleagues of trying to give law enforcement agencies "powers that even the Chinese special services would envy."

"At one point, Dirk Wiese, the head of the SPD negotiating team, suddenly stood up in a rage and left the room to the amazement of the CDU/CSU. After the cancellation of the meeting, Visa did not get in touch at first either by phone or by e-mail. Then he still wanted to negotiate on Friday - by phone. However, the CDU/CSU unanimously rejected this proposal and postponed negotiations with the SPD until Sunday," an anonymous source characterizes the conflict.

It is noted that the meetings of the working group resumed at the weekend, but the parties, according to insiders, have not yet come close to a consensus. If the negotiators fail to reach an understanding, the issue will fall on the table of the CDU/CSU and SPD chairmen.