kompromiss

Kompromiss is a settlement of a dispute reached through mutual concessions, in which each party yields part of its demands to achieve a workable agreement. The word is borrowed into German from French compromis and Italian compromesso, with roots in Latin compromissum, and has been used in political, legal, and everyday contexts since the early modern period.

In politics and diplomacy, a Kompromiss is used to overcome deadlock, form coalitions, or finalize treaties. It often involves balancing competing goals, such as efficiency and fairness, or sovereignty and collaboration, and may require concessions in policy, procedure, or timing. In law and business, settlements between disputing parties are described as compromises; Kompromisse may appear as contract terms or be reached through mediation or arbitration.

Types include tactical compromises that prioritize speed over principle, and principled compromises that seek to preserve core values while allowing agreement. They can be bilateral or multilateral, and may be conditional on future actions.

Advantages include reducing conflict, preserving working relationships, enabling policy implementation, and avoiding costly litigation. Drawbacks can include dilution of important principles, setting unfavorable precedent, rewarding intransigence elsewhere, or creating instability if terms are vague or unenforceable.

Historically, Kompromisse have shaped political development, including legislative compromises in democratic systems and landmark agreements such as the Great Compromise of 1787 in the United States, which resolved representation disputes between large and small states.

See also: compromise, negotiation, mediation, dispute resolution.