‘Tough hours ahead’ as German Chancellor Angela Merkel strives to form coalition government
At stake for Merkel is whether she leads a stable coalition into her fourth term, or risks a fragile minority government or new elections
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives entered coalition talks on Sunday with knotty issues still to untangle with their historic centre-left rivals, but a deal could finally be in sight.
Merkel professed her “good will, but also some expectation that there will be tough hours of talks ahead” as her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) negotiators arrived at Social Democratic Party (SPD) headquarters in Berlin.
“We will have to negotiate very, very intensively today” especially on areas of social policy like labour law, health care reform and housing, SPD chief Martin Schulz said, adding that the wrangling could go on “until late in the evening or the night”.
Even more important than speedy progress was a “dependable coalition agreement that achieves consensus” for a stable government, he continued.
More than four months after an election beating for both parties, leaders hope to wrap up talks on repeating the “grand coalition” or “GroKo” that has ruled since 2013 by Sunday evening, with the option of extending into Monday or Tuesday.
We will have to negotiate very, very intensively today
Germany’s partners abroad are watching impatiently from the sidelines, as Berlin has been paralysed since September on urgent issues like reform of the European Union.