Berlin Coalition Talks With the Left and a Pension Dispute Worry Merz's Government

In Berlin, Germany's capital and also one of its federal states, the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens are seriously holding exploratory talks with the Left Party (Die Linke) about forming a government. The prospect is causing concern at the federal level. Chancellor Friedrich Merz is reported to be watching with unease the possibility that Elif Eralp of the Left could become the city's Governing Mayor.

A dispute within the Left over antisemitism complicates the process of forming a government and is described as a severe test for the talks. The Politico Europe programme also refers to radical demands under discussion, though its summary does not spell them out.

Pension reform

On the national stage, positions between the conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the SPD are hardening over pension reform. A new meeting of the negotiators known as sherpas is meant to settle whether the pension package will be split up. A longer-term scenario in which the retirement age rises to 70 is also mentioned. According to the programme, the chancellor expects compromises by Christmas, and it examines who is slowing the negotiations down.

Europe's ambitions in space

In an interview, German research minister Dorothee Bär of the Bavarian conservative party CSU discusses the European contest in space. It coincides with the state visit of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and French President Emmanuel Macron to Bordeaux. Bär explains how Germany intends to hold its ground in spaceflight and says Europe needs more self-confidence toward the US space agency NASA on the flight to the Moon.

The topics were covered in POLITICO's Berlin Playbook podcast, published every morning from 5 a.m.