Government negotiations
Government negotiations are targeted discussions on a coalition between parliamentary parties to form a government and to develop the government program .
The singular word government negotiation, on the other hand, can also refer to an ambivalent problem within a government. Instead of endless government meetings , a coalition committee can deal with such disputes.
Government negotiations are required, particularly in those states that a system of proportional representation have, because here rarely a political party the absolute majority wins. But even in this case, a coalition is often sought first. In contrast, government negotiations in states with majority voting rights (e.g. Great Britain) are a rare exception.
Negotiations are conducted in balanced groups of usually six to twelve people and are only reduced to "chief rounds" of party leaders and general secretaries in the event of persistent problems . A larger group makes sense to defuse personal animosities that are understandable between political competitors. Larger groups (up to twenty people) only make sense in the case of intricate detailed questions, such as those that may arise towards the end of the negotiations to create the government program .
Frequent "sticking points"
Government negotiations are particularly difficult, on the one hand, with a "right-left" coalition required by the election result , or when opposing election promises are opposed. Sensitive issues in Europe in recent years have included:
- the unemployment and the social legislation
- the way in which economic growth would be promoted
- dealing with larger budget deficits
- Fighting terrorism versus guaranteeing all civil rights
- the regulation of immigration
- the interplay of environmental protection, social and economic development
Special party traditions or ideologies that voters expect their party to represent can also block negotiations.
Miscellaneous
To the designated head of government that determines President i. a. the chairman of the strongest parliamentary party. Deviating from this custom - which in itself would not be a problem in parliamentary terms - almost always leads to violent public reactions.
The duration of government negotiations can vary widely and depends on the political culture of the country and the negotiators, on the mandate relationships in parliament and the possible alternatives, on the financial and economic situation and social problems. In most cases it ranges from a few weeks to three months. If there is a government crisis at a later date , the negotiations then required are usually shorter.
The negotiation results are initially conditional because they still have to be “approved” by the individual party bodies .
Examples of lengthy government negotiations
Negotiations between political parties can be very lengthy if they are almost equally strong but differ greatly in ideology, worldview or social policy .
Such cases occurred in three countries in Central Europe alone in 2005/06 : Germany , Austria and the Czech Republic .