German parties strike coalition deal
05 March, 2018
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is set to form her fourth government after the opposition Social Democrats voted in favor of another grand coalition.
The vote by 464,000 rank-and-file members ends five months of political deadlock since September's election. The Social Democrats (SPD) had been split between the party's leadership, which backed joining the coalition, and its radical youth wing, which did not, reports BBC. Merkel, who has been in power for 12 years, congratulated the SPD.
On her party's Twitter feed. she said she "looks forward to working together again for the benefit of our country". SPD voters approved continuing the coalition with 66% in favour. Vote counting went on through the night at the party headquarters in Berlin.
Interim SPD leader Olaf Scholz declared: "Now we have clarity. The SPD will enter the next government". Senior Christian Democrat member, Volker Bouffier, called the result a "good day for the people in our country and positive for the future of Germany".
The chancellor now faces a range of challenges, including strong opposition from the nationalist Alternative for Germany (AfD).
The anti-immigrant party entered the federal parliament for the first time in September with just over 12% of the vote and now makes up the largest opposition group. The SPD suffered its worst ever election result and many blamed their coalition with Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) for that poor performance.
Merkel, who lost 65 seats in the election, had tried and failed to form an alliance with the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) and the Greens. She was forced to pay a higher price for continuing the existing coalition - the new finance minister will be a Social Democrat.
The end to uncertainty, including the possibility of fresh elections, will be greeted with relief in the European Union's institutions, where Germany, Europe's largest economy, is a major influence.
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