Centre-left SDP approves German coalition deal with centre-right CDU
Germany
has cleared its final hurdle to a new coalition government after rank-and-file members of the centre-left Social Democratic Party backed joining a new government with the centre-right
Christian Democratic Union
.
While SPD leaders were buoyed by 84.6 per cent approval for the coalition deal agreed last month, the fact that nearly half the party's membership skipped the online vote suggests a lingering scepticism.
'Yes there is a scepticism and there are open questions,' conceded Matthias Miersch, SPD general secretary, announcing the result. 'But hopefully we will turn around this scepticism through our actions in office, so that those who voted no will see that it was worth it to enter office and fight for social democratic values.'
The hardest doubt to dispel is concern that after receiving just 16 per cent support in February's federal election, its worst result since 1887, the SPD needs a break in opposition. Instead it has again chosen power in Berlin where it has ruled for seven of the last eight parliamentary terms.
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The poor election result and ongoing uncertainty is reflected in unresolved personnel questions inside the party leadership. Only one senior party figure has a fixed role in the next government: the 47-year-old party co-leader Lars Klingbeil. Seen as a rising star, Klingbeil is set to become vice-chancellor and federal finance minister, shaping crucial fiscal and investment policy in the coming four years.
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Tensions rising in Germany amid criticism of Israeli government
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Seen as a centrist-pragmatist, Mr Klingbeil turned February's election defeat into a negotiating advantage. As the only realistic coalition option for the CDU, his team secured seven ministerial portfolios for his party despite its disastrous result.
Unlike the previous SPD-led coalition, which collapsed over politically incompatible spending-saving plans, Mr Klingbeil's most difficult challenge as finance minister will not be a shortage of cash. After years of lobbying, the SPD has finally secured a €1 trillion off-balance-sheet investment fund for infrastructure and defence.
Instead a cash-flush Mr Klingbeil will struggle to convince his own party of the need to consolidate the federal budget, in particular on social spending, to placate CDU conservatives.
They have been attacked by their voters and mocked by the far right as spendthrifts for a dramatic post-election reversal to back deficit-spending before consolidation targets were agreed.
SPD rank and file, as well as many backbenchers, remain deeply uneasy with the prospect of the looming alliance with a CDU that is – in tone and policy – further right than in the years under Angela Merkel.
'When I think of a grand coalition with [CDU leader
Friedrich
]
Merz
as chancellor I want to retch,' Leni Breymaier, a former SPD Bundestag backbencher, told Berlin's Tagesspiegel newspaper.
The most pressing headache for Mr Klingbeil now is handing out SPD ministerial jobs. Apart from Mr Klingbeil, the only other senior SPD figure likely to return is outgoing defence minister Boris Pistorius. While Mr Klingbeil is the new SPD strongman, securing the parliamentary party leadership role on top of his ministerial post, his unpopular co-leader Saskia Esken faces an uncertain future.
With speculation building, the party has promised to present its team by on Monday, ahead of next Tuesday's swearing-in ceremony. The new coalition's junior member has little time to waste: two months after it finished in third place on election night, the SPD has slumped still further in polls to just 14-15 per cent and is close to being overtaken by the opposition Greens.
On Tuesday Mr Merz is expected to secure the support of a majority of Bundestag MPs as Germany's next federal chancellor. After this vote he will take his oath of office along with the members of his cabinet. Mr Merz's CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, have already nominated their 10 ministers.
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Trump's full televised address on the bombing Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'Thank you very, very much. A short time ago, the US military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime: Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. 'Everybody heard those names for years as they built this horribly destructive enterprise. 'Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror. 'Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier. 'For 40 years, Iran has been saying, Death to America, Death to Israel. They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs, with roadside bombs. That was their specialty. 'We lost over a thousand people and hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died have a direct result of their hate. In particular, so many were killed by their general Qasem Soleimani. Related Reads Ireland's reaction to the US bombing Iran: 'There is an urgent need for de-escalation' US bombs three nuclear sites in Iran, a major escalation in the war between Israel and Iran 'I decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen, it will not continue. I want to thank and congratulate Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we've gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel. 'I want to thank the Israeli military for the wonderful job they've done, and most importantly, I want to congratulate the great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight and all of the United States military on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades. 'Hopefully we will no longer need their services at this capacity. I hope that so. 'I also want to congratulate the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan 'Razin' Caine, spectacular general, and all of the brilliant military minds involved in this attack. 'With all of that being said, this cannot continue, there will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. 'Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal, but if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes. 'There's no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight, not even close. There has never been a military that could do what took place just a little while ago. 'Tomorrow, General Cain [and] Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, will have a press conference at 8am [1pm Irish-time] at the Pentagon. 'And I want to just thank everybody, and in particular, God. I want to just say we love you, God, and we love our great military. Protect them. God bless the Middle East, God bless Israel and God bless America. Thank you very much.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
