Kassensturz, counting the cash. When German parties begin to negotiate a coalition, they often start with a full count of the public finances. In November 2017 the SPD and the CDU in Lower Saxony did this before anything else. The purpose was to find out which political wishes could be financed.
Minister-President Stephan Weil described the first meeting: “Das hatte heute nicht den Charakter einer Entscheidungssitzung, sondern eher einer ersten Lesung.” Today was not a meeting for decisions, but more like a first reading.