Germany is one step closer to a new government. Official coalition talks have begun between the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), the environmentalist Greens and the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP). The parties have said the talks will last until at least the end of November, and the question of how portfolios and ministries will be divided up will only be answered at the very end.

It may come as no surprise that the Greens and FDP are fighting over the key post of finance minister.

"It's the most influential role apart from the chancellor," explained Uwe Jun, a Trier-based political scientist and party researcher. That's because the finance minister submits the budget and "policy-making has a lot to do with financial resources," he added.

Even if it is parliament that ultimately chooses whether to adopt a budget, the preliminary planning is done in the Finance Ministry. In the ministry, a huge building on Berlin's Wilhelmstrasse with more than 2,000 staff, they look closely at the financial requirements of all government departments and draw up the budget together with them.