ein fauler Kompromiss — A rotten compromise. A compromise that settles nothing and will not last.
der Kuhhandel — Cow trading. Petty bargaining over advantages, especially in politics. The word has been in use since the end of the 19th century.
Politik wie auf dem Basar — Politics as in the bazaar. The headline of a Berliner Zeitung commentary on 13 March 2025, about the parties bargaining over the reform of the debt brake.