Union and SPD currently show that power politics and chaos do not have to be mutually exclusive. The dispute over military service followed precisely the old traffic light pattern: The law has long been on the table, but the factions are blocking each other while the quarrel is carried out through the media. The responsible minister speaks of "negligent delay" – the unity is gone.
And yet: In the coalition committee, there were agreements in the end - on citizen's income, active retirement, highway construction. No major breakthroughs, but stable compromises. After years of self-blockade by the traffic light coalition, this almost seems like progress.
Perhaps this is the new principle of government: conflict as a constant state, results as a byproduct. A mix of traffic light drama and Kohl's pragmatism. Anyone who sees chaos in it is right. Anyone who sees the ability to act in it is also right. Because both seem - surprisingly - to work simultaneously.
