Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
    World
    Home / World / Europe

    Merkel moots increased spending in boost for coalition talks

    China Daily | Updated: 2018-02-03 10:23
    Share
    Share - WeChat
    German Chancellor Angela Merkel of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) arrives for coalition talks at the Social Democratic Party (SPD) headquarters in Berlin, Germany, Feb 2, 2018. [Photo/Agencies]

    BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday that strong economic growth offered scope to further expand government spending, which could help her conservatives hammer out a coalition deal with the Social Democrats.

    The government this week raised its 2018 growth forecast to 2.4 percent from 1.9 percent after bullish economic data, which could translate into added tax revenues.

    That would give more leeway to increase state spending over the next four years beyond what is currently envisaged in coalition talks, and potentially lower taxes.

    Merkel, speaking after a meeting with leaders of the country's 16 state governments, said the revised growth forecast clearly offered "additional margin" for coalition negotiators.

    Talks on ending over four months of political limbo are likely to stretch into next week despite agreements on education, migration and pensions, politicians said on Thursday.

    Investors worry the long failure to form a new government is delaying reforms at home and in the European Union, after an earlier bid to rule with smaller parties collapsed in November.

    Senior negotiators reached agreement late Thursday on a package of education programs valued at 11 billion euros ($13.76 billion) that Manuela Schwesig, a top Social Democrat negotiator, said could help win over members of her party who are skeptical about agreeing to another "grand coalition".

    "This flagship project of education offers the possibility to convince our members," said Schwesig, premier of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. "We want to invest in the entire educational chain."

    To secure a fourth term in office, Merkel needs the center-left SPD to agree to a rerun of the coalition government that has ruled Europe's biggest economy since 2013.

    A new poll by Infratest dimap showed the SPD would win only 18 percent of the vote if new elections were held on Sunday, a drop of three percentage points from last month, and well below the postwar low of 20.5 percent the party won in the September elections.

    Negotiators also reached agreement on Thursday on pension contributions, adding to consensus already reached on climate goals and family reunions for migrants.

    According to a joint proposal, the guaranteed level of retirement payments covered by social insurance would be raised from 43 percent to 48 percent of a pensioner's final working incomes.

    The prospective coalition partners described the change as a milestone that would offer Germans greater financial security in old age.

    Reuters - Xinhua

    Most Viewed in 24 Hours
    Top
    BACK TO THE TOP
    English
    Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
    License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

    Registration Number: 130349
    FOLLOW US
    久久久噜噜噜久久中文字幕色伊伊| 久久久久亚洲AV无码观看| 亚洲精品无码乱码成人| 久久中文字幕人妻熟av女| 日韩亚洲AV无码一区二区不卡 | 亚洲精品色午夜无码专区日韩| 狠狠躁天天躁中文字幕无码| 国产精品无码a∨精品| 亚洲va中文字幕无码久久| 亚洲日本va午夜中文字幕久久| 中文字幕AV一区中文字幕天堂| heyzo专区无码综合| 无码区国产区在线播放| 人妻无码人妻有码中文字幕| 在线播放中文字幕 | 中文字幕欧美日韩| 中文无码伦av中文字幕| 久久精品无码一区二区三区免费| 亚洲av激情无码专区在线播放 | 精品一区二区三区无码免费视频| 红桃AV一区二区三区在线无码AV | 国产啪亚洲国产精品无码| 中文字幕夜色资源网站| 亚洲日本中文字幕区| 中文无码久久精品| 亚洲中文字幕日产乱码高清app| 亚洲一本大道无码av天堂| 亚洲一本大道无码av天堂 | 性色欲网站人妻丰满中文久久不卡 | 亚洲中文久久精品无码| 中文字幕无码不卡免费视频| 亚洲成a人无码av波多野按摩| 中文无码一区二区不卡αv| 亚洲乱亚洲乱少妇无码| 中文字幕热久久久久久久| 日韩精品中文字幕无码一区| 色综合网天天综合色中文男男| 最近2019年中文字幕6| 无码爆乳护士让我爽| 亚洲日韩中文无码久久| 无码专区永久免费AV网站|