Policy programme completed

The three parties of the coalition government have completed work on the government's policy programme. The Cabinet is to meet on Thursday to give it an official stamp of approval, before its expected publication. Over the past few days the three parties of the coalition government debated several controversial points pertaining to child benefits, foreign policy and weirs on the river Elbe. The Social Democrats laid emphasis on helping the socially weaker groups of the population, in particular young families with children, but the Christian Democrats and Freedom Union urged restraint pointing out the need to curb public spending. The government is expected to ask Parliament for a vote of confidence on August 24th.