Coalition leaders postpone policy talks to assess mutual trust amid reform deadlock

At the upcoming coalition committee, leaders from the Union and SPD plan to address trust concerns before moving on to policy matters. A source involved in the talks emphasized that resolving fundamental confidence is a prerequisite for any substantive debate. Internal doubts are growing about whether each party's legislators can still guarantee the Chancellor's majority.

The stalemate stems from several blocked reforms, including a nursing overhaul halted by the SPD and an income-tax proposal blocked by the Union. Disagreements also persist over pension, labor law and new levies. Consequently, detailed policy discussions are likely to be delegated to negotiators, while the summit itself will test the coalition's cohesion, with particular scrutiny on Labor Minister Bärbel Bas for allegedly delaying key reforms.