This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/angela-merkel-german-coalition-negotiations-spd-martin-schulz-saudi-arabia-yemen-eurozone-france-a8155786.html
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 1 | Version 2 |
---|---|
Angela Merkel thrown coalition lifeline by German social democrats | Angela Merkel thrown coalition lifeline by German social democrats |
(35 minutes later) | |
Angela Merkel may yet avoid facing the German electorate for a second time in six months, after all-night talks with her social democrat opponents in Berlin saw a breakthrough towards a coalition deal. | |
The SPD’s party board signed off a deal on Friday that would permit the party’s leadership to negotiate a coalition agreement with Ms Merkel’s centre-right CDU. | The SPD’s party board signed off a deal on Friday that would permit the party’s leadership to negotiate a coalition agreement with Ms Merkel’s centre-right CDU. |
Three months have elapsed since the Bundestag elections in September without any government having been formed, after a number of false starts and difficult arithmetic in the German national parliament. | Three months have elapsed since the Bundestag elections in September without any government having been formed, after a number of false starts and difficult arithmetic in the German national parliament. |
The SPD’s leader Martin Schulz had previously ruled out continuation of the so-called “grand coalition” with Ms Merkel, which existed before the election – leaving her to search for other coalition partners. | The SPD’s leader Martin Schulz had previously ruled out continuation of the so-called “grand coalition” with Ms Merkel, which existed before the election – leaving her to search for other coalition partners. |
The centre-left party took heavy losses in September elections after opponents – including the far-right AfD – portrayed the deal between the two biggest parties as an establishment stitch-up. The party sank to its worst result since the first West German elections in 1949. | The centre-left party took heavy losses in September elections after opponents – including the far-right AfD – portrayed the deal between the two biggest parties as an establishment stitch-up. The party sank to its worst result since the first West German elections in 1949. |
But after talks for a so-called “Jamaica coalition” between Ms Merkel and the Greens and liberal FDP collapsed, the SPD opened exploratory talks with the CDU in order to avert a political crisis. The Jamaica coalition, named for the black, green, and yellow colours of the parties, would have been the only viable majority coalition without the SPD. | |
The SPD leadership’s decision to open talks for a grand coalition must now be put to party members in a ballot at party congress on 21 January before anything can begin in earnest. | |
The vote could be difficult for Mr Schulz, given that his previous decision to refrain from a coalition was popular with his supporters. | |
A 28-page preliminary blueprint drawn up in exploratory talks includes plans to strengthen the eurozone by cooperating with France, and a pledge to end arms sales to countries involved in the war in Yemen: a reference to Saudi Arabia. The document is open to revision during full talks, however. | |
Key SPD commitments to improving universal healthcare and making the tax system more progressive appear to have been watered down or dropped from the draft. | Key SPD commitments to improving universal healthcare and making the tax system more progressive appear to have been watered down or dropped from the draft. |
“There will be difficult tasks to come,” Ms Merkel said. “The coalition negotiations probably won’t be easier than the exploratory talks.” | |
The CDU’s previous negotiations with the Greens and FDP collapsed in late November at an advantaged stage after the liberals dropped out. The Jamaica coalition was as yet untested at a national level and had only been present in some state parliaments. | The CDU’s previous negotiations with the Greens and FDP collapsed in late November at an advantaged stage after the liberals dropped out. The Jamaica coalition was as yet untested at a national level and had only been present in some state parliaments. |