News
26.11.2021

Hertie School experts weigh in on coalition agreement for next German government

Explore our discussions, media comments, and policy brief series on the post-election government formation.


On 24 November, Germany’s soon-to-be government of social democrats, greens, and liberals presented their coalition agreement on the document “Dare more progress - alliance for freedom, justice and sustainability”. A number of Hertie School experts have discussed, analysed and commented on the prospects and challenges of the new coalition government. 


Panel discussion

Hertie School experts held the online panel discussion “Ready for change? How coalition talks are shaping Germany’s top policy issues”. Co-hosted by the Open Society Foundations, Hertie School professors Thurid Hustedt, Christian Flachsland, and Andrea Römmele commented on the coalition treaty, with a special focus on climate policy, digitalisation, and overall challenges for the next legislation period.

Experts in the media

Helmut Anheier, Senior Professor of Sociology, evaluated the coalition agreement in an op-ed with Project Syndicate. Whether the new coalition will advance their "much needed vision for the country", he writes, will depend "largely on the coalition committee's political skill."

Andrea Römmele, Professor of Communication in Politics and Civil Society, commented in several media outlets, including the Guardiantagesschau, ORF, NDR, BR and WDR.

Römmele told BR that it was “all the more important that this coalition has a common thread, a narrative”, as social democrats, greens and liberals initially had very different views.

Deputy Director of the Jacques Delors Centre Lucas Guttenberg told the Süddeutsche Zeitung that the coalition treaty was “pretty good news” on a number of contentious Brussels topics.

Policy recommendations

Since before the election in September, Hertie School researchers have offered policy recommendations for the next government in a policy brief series, including papers on education, digitalisation, security policy, and corruption.


Read the policy brief series here or watch our experts’ panel discussion on the coalition agreement here.


The Hertie School is not responsible for any content linked or referred to from these pages. Views expressed by the author/interviewee may not necessarily reflect the views and values of the Hertie School.