Visiting Programme Malaysian Group

1

Party Coalitions in Germany: from Coalition Building to Coalition Management”

27th June to 4th July,in Berlin and Munich

Visiting and Information Programme

2

Friday, 26th / Saturday, 27th June 2009

2305

Kuala Lumpur Amsterdam Berlin

Saturday, 27th June

Briefing: Introduction to the programme Welcome dinner Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit

0940

2305 0940

Departure Arrival

KL 1812KL 0810

KL 0810 KL 1812Departure Arrival

Arrival0545

Thursday 25th / Friday 26th June 2009

Arrival0545

Departure0820

Departure0820

Contact person:

Alba Cako

3

Sunday, 28th June, 2009Berlin

Introductory topic:

“The Free democratic Party in the political context of the Federal Republic of Germany - concepts and strategies for coalition building and coalition management”

Speaker: Stefan Kapferer Secretary of the Ministry of commerce, employment and transport of the state of Lower Saxony

www.berlin.de

www.mw.niedersachsen.de

4

Introductory Seminar

Part I: Introduction into the German Federal System

• Parliamentary democracy in the Federal Republic of Germany – the federal system

• Constitutional meaning and role of the political parties

• Party landscape in the Federal Republic of Germany and the role of the FDP in coalitions and oppositions

Part II: German coalitions: from the preamble of an agreement to its working methods • Aspects of coalition management

• The process of the formation of a coalition

• “Deconstructing” a coalition agreement on the example of the coalition agreement of the Bavarian Coalition of CSU/FDP

5

Monday, 29th June , 2009Berlin

TopicThe organisation of a coalition

Meeting Manfred Eisenbach

TopicManaging different coalition interests

Meeting Dr. Günter Krings

Guided tour German parliament

Guided city tour Political and historical Berlin

Transfer toGerman Bundestag

-Overview-

6

Monday 29th June , 2009Berlin

TopicThe organisation of a coalition – political experiences of the last national conservative-liberal coalition

• From the formation process to reaching a coalition agreement

• The role of the party vs the role of the parliamentary group for the coalition building

• Levels of communication between the parliamentary groups

• Communication of the coalition partners in the German Bundestag with the Government

Meeting

Manfred Eisenbach

Former manager of the FDP Parliamentary Group during the FDP/CDU coalition in 1982 – 1998

Currently: secretary general of the German Group of Liberal International

www.liberale.de

7

Monday 29th June , 2009Berlin

Topic

Managing different coalition interests: the grand coalition - from the conservative perspective

• Conflict resolution mechanisms

• The organisation of the coalition working groups

Meeting

Dr. Günter Krings

Member of Parliament

CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group

www.cducsu.de

8

Monday, 29th June , 2009Berlin

Guided tour -

German parliament

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 proportional representation system.

Impact• Is the direct representative body and has legislative authority • 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

Actual compositionGrand coalition: CDU/CSU and SPD (sine 2005)FDP in the oppositionSeptember 2009: next elections

9

Monday 29th June , 2009Berlin

Guided tour -

Political and historical Berlin

Headquarter of German politics and history • about 3.5 million inhabitants • subdivided into 12 boroughs (Bezirke) • Berlin is both: Germany’s capital and one of

the country’s 16 federal states (Länder)• seat of the Federal Government and

institutions • political crossroad of German national,

regional and local politics • host and headquarter of embassies, media,

international organizations and associations• partnerships with 17 cities and cooperation's in

projects with many other cities around the world

The state government•The state government consists of a governing Mayor and 8 senators•The House of Representatives elects the Governing Mayor, who appoints the other members of the Senate.

The governing Mayor •Mayor of the city and head of the federal state Berlin at the same time •Klaus Wowereit (SPD, governing mayor since 2001in a coalition with Die Linke)

10

Tuesday,30th June , 2009Berlin

TopicThe Federal Chancellery of GermanyMeeting Stephane BeemelmansMatthias Freundlieb

TopicThe role of the German Bundesrat Guided tour and meeting Member of German Bundesrat

Transfer toChancellery

Transfer toBundesrat

Transfer toBerlin House of Representatives

TopicCoalition work at the state level MeetingKarin Seidel-Kalmutzki

-Overview-

11

Tuesday 30th June , 2009Berlin

Topic

The Federal Chancellery of Germany and its coordinating role of the coalition committee

Meeting

Matthias Freundlieb

State and local government relations Federal Chancellery of Germany

Federal Chancelleryof Germany

Meeting

Stephane Beemelmans

Head of office of Mr. Thomas de Maizière, Chief of the Federal Chancellery of Germany

www.bmvbs.de

12

Tuesday, 30th June , 2009BerlinFederal Chancellery

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

13

Tuesday 30th June , 2009Berlin

Topic

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

Guided tour and meeting

A member of the German Bundesrat

German Bundesrat

14

Tuesday, 30th June , 2009Berlin

Guided tour -

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 legislation and administration and in European Union affairs

Extract of functions The Basic Law assigns numerous tasks and competences to the Bundesrat

• Introduces the parliamentary processing of executive bills • Involved involved in the legislative process for bills • has the right to introduce bills into the Bundestag.• shall be kept informed by the Federal Government with regard to the conduct of its affairs

Composition • 69 Members, representatives of the governments of the Laender • Number of votes according to the number of inhabitants of the Laender•The presidency of the Bundesrat changes every November

Actual president: Peter Mueller (CSU)

15

Tuesday 30th June , 2009Berlin

Meeting

Karin Seidel-Kalmutzki, SPD

Vice-president, Berlin House of Representatives

Berlin House of Representatives

Topic

Between cooperation and confrontation: Coalition work at the state level on the example of the red/red coalition in the Berlin House of Representatives

• Day to day management of the parliamentary groups

• levels of communication www.spdfraktion-berlin.de

16

Tuesday 30th June , 2009BerlinBerlin House of

Representatives

Impact and tasks

The House of Representatives elects the Governing Mayor.

Tasks• passing legislation and supervision of the state government •monitor the state budget is its highest and most important prerogative.

PoliticsBerlin 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

Composition Minimum: 130 members (direct and indirect elected) SPD (52)CDU (37)Die Linke (23)Die Grünen (24)FDP (13)

17

Wednesday, 1 July , 2009Berlin – Potsdam - Munich

Flight to Munich

Transfer toHeadquarters FDP

Transfer to PotsdamHeadquarters of FNF

Transfer to the airport

TopicThe Free Democratic Party MeetingHans-Jürgen Beerfeltz Helmut Metzner

Topic

The Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit MeetingRolf Berndt Christian TaaksMoritz Kleine-Brockhoff

-Overview-

18

Meeting

Hans-Jürgen Beerfeltz Federal Party Manager

Headquarters of the FDP

Topic

The Free Democratic Party: organisation, structure and decision-making procedures

• Strategies and campaigning in the upcoming national elections positioning of the FDP in the so-called “super election year”

• Considerations on coalitions

Wednesday, 1 July , 2009Berlin – Potsdam - Munich

Helmut MetznerFDP Director “Strategies and Campaigning”

www.libnet.de

www.fdp-bundespartei.de

19

Meeting

Rolf Berndt,Executive chairman of the board of directors Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit

Moritz Kleine-Brockhoff Designated Project Director,

Malaysia

Headquarters ofFriedrich Naumann Stiftungfuer die Freiheit

Topic

Die Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit - the role of political foundations in Germany

• Cooperation with political parties

• Tasks and finances

Wednesday, 1 July , 2009Berlin – Potsdam - Munich

Christian TaaksDirector, Asia desk Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit

www.fnst-freiheit.org

www.fnst-freiheit.org

www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de

20

Wednesday, 1 July

1700 AB 6201 1810

Berlin - Munich

21

Thursday, 2 July , 2009Munich

Guided tour TopicCoalition negotiations and coalitionMeetingMartin Zeil

Transfer to State Parliament of Bavaria

TopicManaging different party interestsMeetingMember of the CSU parliamentary groupUlrich FalkFabian Schatz

Guided City Tour through Munich

-Overview-

22

Guided tour – State Parliament of Bavaria

Thursday, 2 July , 2009Munich

Bavarian State Parliament-Landtag of Bavaria-

• Legislature of the state of Bavaria• The parliament meets in the Maximilianeum and counts 187 members• 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•FDP won 8% • Ministerpraesident since 2008: Horst Seehofer

Main work themes of the FDP faction

• University law• Health care system• Consumer protection• Non smoker protection• Accessibility of internet

23

Topic

Coalition negotiations and coalition agreement on the example of CSU/FDP coalition in the State Parliament of Bavaria

Thursday, 2 July , 2009MunichState Parliament

of Bavaria

MeetingThomas Hacker

Member of the Bavarian State Parliament Leader of the FDP Parliamentary Group in the Bavaria State Parliament

24

Topic

Managing different party interests on the example of security policy – Reconciling the conservative perspective with the liberal one

Thursday, 2 July , 2009MunichState Parliament

of Bavaria

Meeting

Member of CSU parliamentary group

Ulrich Falk, FDPInternal affairs and justice policy specialist, FDP parliamentary group

Fabian Schatz, FDPFDP Parliamentary Group

www.fdp-fraktion-bayern.de

www.fdp-fraktion-bayern.de

25

Guided tour -

Munich

Thursday, 2 July , 2009Munich

The impact of Munich • capital city of Bavaria, Germany • third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg - 1.36 million inhabitants • important political centre in Germany with 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 Germany and the European Patent Office

International Relations

Munich is well connected in international relations and has different twin cities, e.g.:

Edinburgh

Sapporo

Hyderabad

Cincinnati

26

Friday, 3 July , 2009Munich

TopicOrganisation of the FDP parliamentary Group MeetingTobias Thahammer

Transfer to State Parliament of Bavaria

Topiccoalition work to the media MeetingLars PappertRafael Freckmann

Evaluation of the programme

-Overview-

27

Topic

Friday, 3 July , 2009MunichState Parliament

of Bavaria

Meeting

Tobias Thalhammer

Chief Whip, FDP parliamentary Group, State Parliament of Bavaria

Organisation and day-to-day management of the FDP parliamentary Group in the Bavarian State Parliament

• Methods of cooperation with the coalition partner: CSU parliamentary group

• Communication at the committee level

www.fdp-bayern.de

28

Topic

Representation of the coalition work to the media – cooperation of the coalition partners with regard to press relations

Friday 3 July , 2009MunichState Parliament

of Bavaria

Meeting

Lars PappertSpokesperson of the FDP parliamentary group and director of the Press Office

Rafael Freckmann Press office, FDP Parliamentary Group

Evaluation of the programme

www.fdp-fraktion-bayern.de

www.fdp-fraktion-bayern.de

29

Saturday, 4th July 2009

1730

Munich Amsterdam Kuala Lumpur

1500

1730 1500

Departure Arrival

KL 0809KL 1798

KL 1798 KL 0809Departure Arrival

Arrival1915

5 July 2009

Arrival1915

Departure2055

Departure2055