1. Visiting and Information
Programme
Party Coalitions in Germany:
from Coalition Building to Coalition
Management”
27th June to 4th July,
in Berlin and Munich
1
2. Friday, 26th / Saturday, 27th June 2009
Kuala Lumpur Amsterdam Berlin
Departure Arrival
Arrival
0545
2305 KL 0810
Departure
KL 1812 0940
0820
Thursday 25th / Friday 26th June 2009
Departure Arrival
Arrival
2305 KL 0810 0545
KL 1812 0940
Departure
0820
Saturday, 27th June Contact person:
Briefing: Introduction to the programme Alba Cako
Welcome dinner 2
Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit
3. Sunday, 28th June, 2009
Berlin
Introductory topic:
“The Free democratic Party in
the political context of the
Federal Republic of Germany -
concepts and strategies for www.berlin.de
coalition building and coalition
management”
Speaker: Stefan Kapferer
Secretary of the Ministry of
commerce, employment and
transport of the state of Lower
3
Saxony www.mw.niedersachsen.de
4. Introductory Seminar
Part I: Part II:
Introduction into the German German coalitions: from the
Federal System preamble of an agreement to its
working methods
• Parliamentary democracy in the • Aspects of coalition management
Federal Republic of Germany – the
federal system • The process of the formation of a
coalition
• Constitutional meaning and role of
the political parties • “Deconstructing” a coalition
agreement on the example of the
• Party landscape in the Federal coalition agreement of the Bavarian
Republic of Germany and the role of Coalition of CSU/FDP
the FDP in coalitions and
oppositions
4
5. -Overview-
Monday, 29th June , 2009
Berlin
Topic
The organisation of a coalition
Meeting
Manfred Eisenbach
Topic
Managing different coalition
Transfer to interests
German Bundestag
Meeting
Dr. Günter Krings
Guided tour
German parliament
Guided city tour
Political and historical Berlin 5
6. Monday 29th June , 2009
Berlin
Topic Meeting
The organisation of a coalition
– political experiences of the Manfred Eisenbach
last national conservative-
liberal coalition Former manager of the
FDP Parliamentary
• From the formation process to Group during the FDP/
reaching a coalition agreement CDU coalition in 1982 –
1998
• The role of the party vs the role of
www.liberale.de
the parliamentary group for the Currently: secretary
coalition building
general of the German
• Levels of communication between Group of Liberal
the parliamentary groups International
• Communication of the coalition
partners in the German Bundestag
with the Government 6
7. Monday 29th June , 2009
Berlin
Topic Meeting
Managing different coalition Dr. Günter Krings
interests: the grand coalition -
Member of
from the conservative
Parliament
perspective
CDU/CSU
• Conflict resolution mechanisms Parliamentary Group
• The organisation of the coalition
working groups www.cducsu.de
7
8. Guided tour - Monday, 29th June , 2009
Berlin
German parliament
Actual composition
Grand coalition:
Impact
CDU/CSU and SPD (sine 2005)
• Is the direct representative body
FDP in the opposition
and has legislative authority
September 2009: next elections
• Some legislation requires
permission from the Bundesrat
(the representation of the states).
Functions
• form the governing majority
• elect the Federal Chancellor
• scrutinize the work of the executive
• pass laws
• approve the budget
Election
• The Members (598, directly elected and drawn up by the
political parties) are from different political parties
• elected members according to the mixed member 8
proportional representation system.
9. Guided tour - Monday 29th June , 2009
Berlin
Political and historical
Berlin
The state government
Headquarter of German politics and •The state government consists of a
history governing Mayor and 8 senators
• about 3.5 million inhabitants •The House of Representatives elects
• subdivided into 12 boroughs (Bezirke) the Governing Mayor, who appoints
• Berlin is both: Germany’s capital and one of the other members of the Senate.
the country’s 16 federal states (Länder)
• seat of the Federal Government and
The governing Mayor
•Mayor of the city and head of the
institutions
federal state Berlin at the same time
• political crossroad of German national,
•Klaus Wowereit (SPD, governing
regional and local politics mayor since 2001
• host and headquarter of embassies, media, in a coalition with Die Linke)
international organizations and associations
• partnerships with 17 cities and cooperation's in 9
projects with many other cities around the world
10. -Overview-
Tuesday,30th June , 2009
Berlin
Topic
Transfer to The Federal Chancellery of Germany
Chancellery Meeting
Stephane Beemelmans
Matthias Freundlieb
Transfer to Topic
Bundesrat The role of the German Bundesrat
Guided tour and meeting
Member of German Bundesrat
Topic
Coalition work at the state
Transfer to level
Berlin House of Representatives Meeting
Karin Seidel-Kalmutzki
10
11. Tuesday 30th June , 2009
Federal Chancellery
Berlin
of Germany
Meeting
Topic Matthias Freundlieb
The Federal Chancellery of State and local government relations
Germany and its coordinating Federal Chancellery of Germany
role of the coalition committee
Meeting
Stephane Beemelmans
Head of office of Mr. Thomas de
Maizière, Chief of the Federal
Chancellery of Germany
11
www.bmvbs.de
12. Tuesday, 30th June , 2009
Federal Chancellery
Berlin
of Germany
Impact and work tasks
The Federal Chancellery is a supreme federal authority and the
coordinating centre and control centre for government policy as
a whole.
The Chancellery
• is in constant contact with the Ministries and the other federal
authorities.
• deals with departmental affairs in parallel with the Ministries.
• prepares the weekly meetings and the decisions by the
Federal Cabinet
• acts as a secretariat for the Federal Government
The Chancellors office
• coordinates the Chancellor’s personal interviews and her
appointments 12
13. Tuesday 30th June , 2009
German Bundesrat
Berlin
Guided tour and meeting
Topic A member of the German Bundesrat
The role of the German
Bundesrat during the
legislating period of the
grand coalition (CDU/SPD)
• Voting procedure with regard to
the representation of coalition state
governments
• Political parties’ interests vs.
federal states’ interests: the conflict
resolution mechanisms of the
German Bundesrat
13
14. Guided tour - Tuesday, 30th June , 2009
Berlin
German Bundesrat
Impact
• expresses the system of division of power and
combined performance tasks
• defends the interests of the Laender against
the Federation and indirectly the European
Union
• Political and administrative experiences of the
Laender are incorporated in the Federation's Composition
legislation and administration and in European • 69 Members, representatives of the
Union affairs governments of the Laender
• Number of votes according to the
Extract of functions
number of inhabitants of the Laender
The Basic Law assigns numerous tasks
•The presidency of the Bundesrat
and competences to the Bundesrat
changes every November
• Introduces the parliamentary processing of
executive bills Actual president:
• Involved involved in the legislative process for bills Peter Mueller (CSU)
• has the right to introduce bills into the Bundestag.
• shall be kept informed by the Federal Government 14
with regard to the conduct of its affairs
15. Tuesday 30th June , 2009
Berlin House of
Berlin
Representatives
Meeting
Topic
Karin Seidel-Kalmutzki, SPD
Between cooperation and
confrontation: Coalition work at Vice-president,
the state level on the example Berlin House of
of the red/red coalition in the Representatives
Berlin House of
Representatives
• Day to day management of the
parliamentary groups
• levels of communication www.spdfraktion-berlin.de
15
16. Tuesday 30th June , 2009
Berlin House of
Berlin
Representatives
Impact and tasks Composition
Minimum: 130 members (direct
The House of Representatives elects the Governing Mayor. and indirect elected)
SPD (52)
Tasks CDU (37)
• passing legislation and supervision of the state government Die Linke (23)
•monitor the state budget is its highest and most important Die Grünen (24)
prerogative. FDP (13)
Politics
Berlin is a dept-ridden city. The mayor focus is to decrease
the debt via steep cuts in the area of the staff of public
officials
16
17. -Overview-
Wednesday, 1 July , 2009
Berlin – Potsdam - Munich
Topic
Transfer to The Free Democratic Party
Headquarters FDP Meeting
Hans-Jürgen Beerfeltz
Helmut Metzner
Topic
The Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung
Transfer to Potsdam für die Freiheit
Headquarters of FNF Meeting
Rolf Berndt
Christian Taaks
Moritz Kleine-Brockhoff
Transfer to the airport Flight to Munich
17
18. Wednesday, 1 July , 2009
Headquarters of the FDP
Berlin – Potsdam - Munich
Topic
Meeting
The Free Democratic Party: www.libnet.de
organisation, structure and Hans-Jürgen Beerfeltz
decision-making procedures Federal Party Manager
• Strategies and campaigning in the
upcoming national elections
Helmut Metzner
positioning of the FDP in the so-called
FDP Director “Strategies
“super election year”
and Campaigning”
• Considerations on coalitions
www.fdp-bundespartei.de
18
19. Headquarters of Wednesday, 1 July , 2009
Friedrich Naumann Stiftung Berlin – Potsdam - Munich
fuer die Freiheit
Meeting
Topic
Rolf Berndt,
Die Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung Executive chairman of the board of
für die Freiheit - the role of directors Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung
political foundations in für die Freiheit
Germany
www.fnst-freiheit.org
• Cooperation with political parties Christian Taaks
Director, Asia desk Friedrich-
• Tasks and finances Naumann-Stiftung für die
Freiheit
www.fnst-freiheit.org
Moritz Kleine-Brockhoff
Designated Project Director,
www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de Malaysia
19
21. -Overview-
Thursday, 2 July , 2009
Munich
Guided tour
Topic
Transfer to State Coalition negotiations and coalition
Parliament of Bavaria Meeting
Martin Zeil
Topic
Managing different party interests
Meeting
Member of the CSU parliamentary group
Ulrich Falk
Fabian Schatz
Guided City Tour through Munich
21
22. Guided tour – Thursday, 2 July , 2009
State Parliament Munich
of Bavaria
Main work themes of the
FDP faction
Bavarian State Parliament
-Landtag of Bavaria- • University law
• Health care system
• Legislature of the state of Bavaria
• Consumer protection
• The parliament meets in the
• Non smoker protection
Maximilianeum and counts 187 members • Accessibility of internet
• Elections: every five years
Last elections in 2008 and composition
• a drop-off in support for the Christian
Social Union, which has dominated politics
in the state since the 1950s
• In result, the CDU had to join a coalition
for the first time, do not got the needed
majority of minimum 94 seats 22
•FDP won 8%
23. Thursday, 2 July , 2009
State Parliament
Munich
of Bavaria
Topic
Coalition negotiations and
coalition agreement on the
example of
CSU/FDP coalition in the State Meeting
Parliament of Bavaria Thomas Hacker
Member of the Bavarian State
Parliament
Leader of the FDP Parliamentary
Group in the Bavaria State
Parliament
23
24. Thursday, 2 July , 2009
State Parliament
Munich
of Bavaria
Meeting
Topic
Member of CSU parliamentary
Managing different party
group
interests on the example of
security policy –
Ulrich Falk, FDP
Reconciling the conservative
Internal affairs and justice policy
perspective with the liberal one
specialist, FDP parliamentary
group
www.fdp-fraktion-bayern.de
Fabian Schatz, FDP
FDP Parliamentary Group
24
www.fdp-fraktion-bayern.de
25. Guided tour - Thursday, 2 July , 2009
Munich
Munich
The impact of Munich International Relations
• capital city of Bavaria, Germany
• third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Munich is well connected in
Hamburg - 1.36 million inhabitants international relations and
• important political centre in Germany with has different twin cities, e.g.:
the seat of the Bavarian State Parliament, the
State Chancellery and of all state departments
•Host of several national and international
authorities, like the Federal Finance Court of Edinburgh
Germany and the European Patent Office
Sapporo
Hyderabad
Cincinnati
25
26. -Overview-
Friday, 3 July , 2009
Munich
Topic
Organisation of the FDP parliamentary
Transfer to State Group
Parliament of Bavaria Meeting
Tobias Thahammer
Topic
coalition work to the media
Meeting
Lars Pappert
Rafael Freckmann
Evaluation of the programme
26
27. Friday, 3 July , 2009
State Parliament
Munich
of Bavaria
Meeting
Topic
Tobias Thalhammer
Organisation and day-to-day
management of the FDP Chief Whip, FDP parliamentary
parliamentary Group, State Parliament of
Group in the Bavarian State Bavaria
Parliament
• Methods of cooperation with the www.fdp-bayern.de
coalition partner: CSU parliamentary
group
• Communication at the committee
level
27
28. Friday 3 July , 2009
State Parliament
Munich
of Bavaria
Meeting
Topic
Representation of the coalition
Lars Pappert
work to the media –
Spokesperson of the FDP
cooperation of the coalition
parliamentary group and
partners with regard to press
director of the Press Office
relations
www.fdp-fraktion-bayern.de
Rafael Freckmann
Press office,
FDP Parliamentary Group
www.fdp-fraktion-bayern.de
Evaluation of the programme
28
29. Saturday, 4th July 2009
Munich Amsterdam Kuala Lumpur
Departure Arrival
Arrival
1915
1730 KL 1798
Departure
KL 0809 1500
2055
5 July 2009
Departure Arrival
Arrival
1730 KL 1798 1915
KL 0809 1500
Departure
2055
29
