German Elections & Politics

[Sozialliberal]

The SPD said they would support a CDU/CSU minority government with Merkel as chancellor. I think that's an interesting option. It would be hard for Merkel, though. Remember that some laws have to be approved not only by the majority of the Bundestag, but also by the majority of the Bundesrat. Chancellor Merkel prefers a new election, but President Steinmeier, who is against a new election, is most probably trying to talk her out of that.

I'm sure the CSU would prefer a coalition with the AfD!

Seriously though, hasnt trhere been talk of the CDU forming a coalition with the SPD and Greens that would EXCLUDE the CSU?

A split between the CDU and the CSU is unlikely. There's a consensus between the two parties that they don't compete against each other. The CSU is basically the CDU's lapdog: He may bark from time to time, but he won't bite the hand that feeds him. It wouldn't make sense from the CDU's perspective, either. Bavaria is a stronghold for the CDU/CSU alliance. Why would they jeopardize that?

If SPD does join the government it should demand that FDP and Greens also join in this "government of national salvation."  This way next election it would not just be SPD losing votes but FDP and Greens as well.  Since there are caps to AfD and LinkedIn support the total SPD loss can then be minimized.

There's no such thing as a limit to the share of the vote a party can receive. Who would have thought that SYRIZA could become the largest party in Greece before the financial crisis broke out? Moreover, when the negotiations between four parties failed, adding a fifth party to the negotiations will make things more complicated, not easier.

[Sozialliberal]

Looks like the SPD will demand single payer healthcare (among other things) if they enter another grand coalition.

"Single payer healthcare" is the wrong term. The SPD want to strengthen the statutory insurers, but it would still be a multi-payer system. I summarized the most important facts on the German healthcare system below to give you a better understanding. Then I described what the SPD want to change.

General:
There are two types of health insurers in Germany: statutory insurers ("gesetzliche Krankenkassen") and private insurers ("private Krankenkassen"). Statutory health insurers are statutory corporations, whereas private health insurers are privately owned companies.

Insured people:
All employees who have a gross income of not more than 57,600 euros a year (the exact amount changes anually) are obliged to be insured by one of the statutory health insurers. That means they can't choose a private insurer to cover their basic healthcare even if they want to. All employees with a gross income of more than 57,600 euros a year and most self-employed people (with the exception of certain occupational groups for historical reasons) are free to choose either a private insurer or a statutory insurer. It's generally easy for an insured person to switch from one statutory health insurer to another statutory insurer, or from one private insurer to another private insurer. However, people who want to switch (back) from a private health insurer to a statutory insurer often experience difficulties.

Coverage:
All statutory health insurers have to cover a legally defined minimum range of services, but they are free to offer the coverage of additional health services to their customers, according to the financial situation of the individual insurer. There is no legal regulation on what services a private insurer must cover. Private insurers often cover a wider range of services than statutory insurers. It's also often easier to arrange a prompt appointment with a doctor if you have a private health insurance.

Funding:
The statutory insurers have to charge a legally defined minimum percentage of an employee's monthly gross income. A statutory insurer may, however, charge a higher percentage if the insurer deems it necessary because of the insurer's individual financial situation. The contribution regulation for self-employed members of statutory insurers is more complicated, so I'll leave that out. Private insurers are free to charge whatever they want. Broadly speaking, private insurers charge less if you're young and healthy and charge more if you're old and sick. Statutory insurers are not allowed to do that. Every member of the same statutory insurer has to pay the same percentage of their income, regardless of their medical history or their age.

Number of insurers:
Currently, there are 113 statutory health insurers and 44 private health insurers in Germany. Most statutory insurers are open to people from all of Germany, but a few accept only residents of certain states as customers. Even less are open only to employees of a specific (very large) company. Most statutory insurers are open to people from all occupational backgrounds, an exception being a statutory insurer exclusively for farmers and their immediate family.

What the SPD want to change:
The SPD want to oblige every newly insured person to be insured by a statutory health insurer, no matter how much money they earn, no matter if they're employees or self-employed. They would also make switching to a statutory insurer much easier for policyholders of private insurers. People who are already insured by private companies and want to keep their private health insurance would be free to do so. However, the cost of private insurance would rise sharply because all newly insured people, who are mostly young and healthy, can't be insured by private insurers any more. This concept is something Die Linke and the Greens support, too. CDU/CSU and the FDP oppose this change. The AfD has no clear position. The private health insurers are protesting against it because it would severely hurt their business model. Medical associations voiced criticism, too.