Two months after the German general elections, Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union has reached an agreement to form a coalition government with the Social Democrats. It includes a promise that Jewish ghetto laborers under the Nazis will receive compensation payments. The World Jewish Congress welcomed this commitment, and WJC President Ronald S. Lauder also praised the fact that the agreement recognizes Germany’s responsibility for Israel’s right to exist as a “Jewish and democratic state.” However, the Lauder lamented that the document does not make any reference to facilitating the return of Nazi-looted art.
"We recognize our historic responsibility for the survivors of the Holocaust who experienced unspeakable suffering during the Nazi era. We therefore want to meet the justified demands of Holocaust survivors for an appropriate compensation for ghetto labor,” the text of the coalition agreement states. However, it does not include any references to the restitution of Nazi-looted art. “In view of the public debate that took place over the past four weeks on the Munich art trove, we regret that the three parties did not indicate their willingness to address this important matter,” Lauder declared. He added that “it is high time that the German federal government puts in place a comprehensive framework that allows for the restitution of looted artworks to the rightful owners.”
The 184-page document reiterates Germany’s “special responsibility for Israel as a Jewish and democratic state” and states that “Israel’s right to exist is not negotiable for us.” In 2015, Germany will celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations with the Jewish state. Previous coalition agreements also stated Germany's support for Israel but did not specifically refer to the country as "Jewish and democratic state." The paper signed by CDU, CSU and SPD on Wednesday also calls for the establishment of a "viable Palestinian state which lives in peace with Israel."
After a 17-hour negotiating session, the country's two largest parties signed the agreement to form a government on Wednesday morning. At the parliamentary election in September, Merkel had secured her party 42 percent of the vote, but failed to win an overall majority of seats in the legislature. She now faces one more obstacle before she can be sworn in for a third term as chancellor: the Social Democrats (SPD) will next month put the agreement to a ballot by its membership – some of whom remain deeply skeptical about becoming Merkel's junior partner. The SPD already served in a ‘grand coalition’ under Merkel from 2005 to 2009.
