In a significant political development, Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) has agreed to form a coalition government with other parties, setting the stage for Friedrich Merz, a conservative leader, to take over as the new chancellor. The outgoing leader, Olaf Scholz, will make way for a government helmed by Merz’s center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its affiliate from Bavaria, the Christian Social Union (CSU). This coalition comes after the CDU and CSU achieved victory in Germany’s February elections, securing 28.5% of the vote.
The Social Democrats, who faced their most disappointing performance since the end of World War II, managed to capture third place with a mere 16.4% of the vote. Despite this setback, their alliance is crucial for forming a majority in parliament without relying on the far-right Alternative for Germany party, which secured the second position.
Earlier in April, the SPD reached a coalition agreement that was subject to approval by its members through an online voting process, involving more than 358,000 participants. Over the past two weeks, SPD members, although facing dissent particularly from the party’s youth division, engaged in this decisive ballot. Results, announced recently, showed that 56% of members cast their votes, with an overwhelming 84.6% supporting the coalition.
With this agreement, the Social Democrats have secured key portfolios such as the finance, justice, and defense ministries. The CDU and CSU had previously given their nod to this arrangement. On May 6, Germany’s lower house of parliament is scheduled to convene to officially elect Merz, marking him as the country’s 10th leader since the post-war era.
This coalition government intends to focus on fostering economic growth, enhancing defense expenditures, taking a stringent stance on immigration policies, and addressing long-standing modernization issues in Germany. As the most populous nation within the European Union and possessing the largest economy in Europe, Germany is poised for critical policy shifts under this new regime.
The coalition enjoys a relatively slim majority, holding 328 out of the 630 seats within the Bundestag. This arrangement mirrors previous governmental partnerships as the Union and the Social Democrats have shared governance responsibility in the past: once during the 1960s and more recently in three out of four terms with former Chancellor Angela Merkel, who led the nation from 2005 until 2021.