German coalition's policy jostling adds uncertainties

On Dec 8, Germany's first three-party coalition government formed by the Social Democratic Party, the Green Party and the Free Democratic Party took office, ushering in the post-Angela Merkel era in German politics.

The Social Democratic Party holds the posts of chancellor, defense minister and labor minister, while the Free Democratic Party and the Green Party have the posts of finance minister and foreign minister, respectively.

At the same time, the three parties also signed a coalition agreement, stating their positions on the energy transition, fiscal spending, housing market reform, digital construction and foreign policy. On foreign policy, especially on China, they set out a tough-line.

As the first three-party coalition Cabinet in German history, the new German government has been faced with a more severe test of policy coordination since the beginning of their negotiations. The coalition agreement cannot resolve their divergences in policy formulation, implementation and the distribution of decision-making rights, which cannot be contained in it and are likely to become a source of conflicts among the three parties in the course of governance.

For instance, less than a week into the new government, the Social Democratic Party and the Green Party have already come to a face-off over the question of who is responsible for Germany's foreign policy, the chancellor or foreign minister.

The divergence reflects the two left-wing parties' disagreement on Germany's diplomacy, as the Social Democratic Party supports practical diplomacy, while the Greens endorse value diplomacy. That means the former lays more emphasis on energy cooperation with Russia, while the latter insists that Germany should move closer to the United States.

The face-off between the two parties right at the start of their coalition should prompt people to hold a cautious attitude toward the steady operation of the coalition government in the coming years.

The first government statement German Chancellor Olaf Scholz issued early this month indicates that the federal government refuses the value diplomacy of the Green Party, but seeks to maintain its coalition relations with the Green Party.

Likewise, the statement shows that the Scholz administration seeks to strike a balance between its predecessor's cooperation with China and stressing the so-called human rights and value issues the US is hyping up against China.

Despite all this, the strong economic and trade ties between China and Germany remain a solid foundation for the continuation of China-Germany relations featuring mutual trust and win-win cooperation.