Coalition talks end calmly No concrete reform deals

Oct 7

From the Chancellery, Markus Preiß says the meeting has ended and sources describe a serious but calm discussion of Saxony-Anhalt. He reports SPD anger over Merz's false-flag remark and Union anger over the SPD's previous-evening response. He describes the expected CDU retreat, possible state-group split and difficult intervention options as prospective. On reforms, he says leaders agreed to pursue the projects but reached no concrete compromises on disputed questions such as retirement at 63. He has only one source for pension legislation being presented relatively soon. The complete interview preserves that limitation.

Merz cautions against premature conclusions about the Saxony-Anhalt secret ballot and says political false-flag operations exist, accusing unnamed parliamentary groups of undermining democratic cohesion. Wegge expects CDU consequences if internal inquiry proves its members supported AfD. Preiß reports SPD anger at Merz's suggestion and a later restrained coalition discussion. No secret-ballot voter or deceptive operation is proven. The earlier October 7 Tagesschau account airs Merz saying that an AfD minister-president is not in Germany's interests and that the CDU will do everything it can to prevent that, while stressing that the ballot was secret. Hoffmann rejects premature blame and speaks of political false flags. Preiß describes the SPD's belief that additional votes came from CDU members, the alternative-party possibility and the Union's customary-office argument. These are public positions and disputed assessments, not proof of individual votes, a CDU–AfD agreement or a demonstrated deception.