Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) urged the coalition to be willing to compromise on the upcoming reforms. Speaking to the “Rheinische Post” on Saturday, Dobrindt stated that “it is not about ideologies; parties naturally have different understanding of economic policy”. However, he added that reforms can only succeed if all parties are ready to move beyond their established positions. He expressed his expectation of this openness from all three parties forming the governing coalition.
A key message from the recent meeting at the Villa Borsig was the affirmation of the coalition’s functionality. The CSU politician noted, “We are in a decision-making mode, and this is also urgently necessary”. He emphasized that there are “no more excuses; our country needs reforms, and the coalition marked the first milestone towards this last weekend”.
Regarding ongoing political disagreements, particularly between Deputy Chancellor and Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) and Federal Minister of Economics Katherina Reiche (CDU), Dobrindt stressed the collective responsibility of all cabinet members. He warned that the radical elements, both on the far left and far right, are waiting for the government of the center to prove incapable of handling the challenges of today. Furthermore, he reminded everyone that each member of the federal government acknowledges the shared responsibility if the project of a stable political center in Germany were to fail.
Concerning the pending health care reform, the CSU minister advised on adopting a high speed. He cautioned that previous health reforms took too long and were often diluted through prolonged discussion. He concluded by suggesting that the current opportunity allows for achieving consensus through structured and swift decisions.
