A common word in German official statements on the mood of talks is sachlich, factual. On 7 April 1989, Chancellor Helmut Kohl received Günter Mittag, a secretary of the East German party’s Central Committee. The government bulletin reported: Das Gespräch fand in einer sachlichen Atmosphäre statt. The talk took place in a factual atmosphere. It added that problems were raised openly. On 8 January 2026, Deutsche Bahn and the train drivers’ union GDL opened a new round of wage negotiations. The company’s headline read: Erster Termin konstruktiv und sachlich. First meeting constructive and factual.