Wolfgang Schmidt, the former head of the Chancellery and a member of the SPD, argues that the recurring conflicts within government coalitions stem from deep structural causes. He stated in an appearance on the “Politico” podcast, “Berlin Playbook” that what is occurring is fundamentally a systemic issue.
According to Schmidt, the inherent composition of coalition partners makes stable cooperation difficult, as parties are often forced into alliances that are fundamentally incompatible. He pointed to the limited pool of realistic alliance options as a core problem, noting, “A portion of the political spectrum is not available for coalitions”. He specifically referenced the AfD and Linke parties, which, among others, are programmatically excluded from government groupings.
Given these structural limitations, conflict, he believes, is almost unavoidable. Instead of attempting to eliminate discord, Schmidt advised that the focus must be on maximizing the outcome from the existing coalition partners and working together to find the correct solutions. He concluded by stressing the necessity of developing greater equanimity and composure when dealing with such conflicts, stating that this acceptance is simply part of the process.
