(…) Bitterly negotiated by parties with opposing positions, the coalition agreement presented Wednesday ultimately contains few surprises. It consists of a combination of measures restricting illegal immigration, some tax cuts and a reduction in "bureaucracy," a term that appears about 50 times in the document.
In reality, the most significant reform of Merz's term has already been voted on: On March 18, a nearly €1 trillion spending package to finance defense efforts and modernize the country was approved. This already stands as the future coalition's main achievement and the one most likely to transform the German model being challenged from all sides.
On the politically sensitive issue of immigration – strategic for the conservatives – the two parties reached a compromise that allows each to claim victory. Merz, who had promised drastic measures "from day one" of his mandate, asserted that the document would "largely end" ilegal immigration and that asylum seekers would be turned away at the border "in consultation with European partners" – a somewhat vague phrase already employed in the wake of the elections. Klingbeil, for his part, maintained that it had "always been clear that the fundamental right to asylum remains intangible." "Germany remains a country of immigration," he stressed.
The CDU secured the repeal of expedited regularization procedures introduced by the previous government but, in return, gave up its push to revoke dual nationality from offenders – a measure advocated by Merz. Family reunification will also be restricted for some refugees, and the Bürgergeld (a welfare benefit for people with few resources) will be transformed into unemployment benefits with stricter conditions.