Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
German Parties Reach Deal for Government to End Merkel era
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 4 years ago on
November 24, 2021

Share

Three German parties have reached a deal to form a new government that will end the era of longtime Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to Olaf Scholz, who is poised to replace her.

Scholz, of the center-left Social Democrats, said he expects that members of the parties will give their blessing to the deal in the next 10 days.

At a news conference, Scholz and other leaders gave some indications of how the coalition would govern.

Among the first measures agreed: compulsory vaccinations in places where particularly vulnerable people are cared for, with the option of expanding that rule. That comes as Germany is seeing a surge in cases, and the political transition has somewhat hampered the country’s response.

Partnership with U.S. a Cornerstone of Foreign Policy

Scholz also stressed the importance of a sovereign Europe, friendship with France and partnership with the United States as key cornerstones of the government’s foreign policy — continuing a long post-war tradition.

The new government will not seek “the lowest common denominator, but the politics of big impacts,” Scholz promised.

Robert Habeck, co-leader of the environmentalist Green party, meanwhile, said measures planned by the government would put Germany on a path to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris climate accord.

The Social Democrats have been negotiating with the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats since narrowly winning a national election on Sept. 26.

3-Way Alliance has Never Been Tried in Germany

If party members sign off on it, the three-way alliance — which has never yet been tried in a national government — will replace the current “grand coalition” of the country’s traditional big parties. The Social Democrats have served as the junior partner to Merkel’s center-right Christian Democrats.

Merkel, who didn’t run for a fifth term, is expected to be succeeded by Scholz, 63, who has been her finance minister and vice chancellor since 2018.

The three would-be governing parties have said they hope parliament will elect Scholz as chancellor in the week beginning Dec. 6. Before that can happen, the deal requires approval from a ballot of the Greens’ roughly 125,000-strong membership and from conventions of the other two parties.

News of the deal came as Merkel led what was likely to be her last Cabinet meeting. Scholz presented the 67-year-old, who has led Germany since 2005, with a bouquet of flowers.

The negotiations over the alliance were relatively harmonious and speedy compared to previous coalition talks. But the alliance is a potentially uneasy mixture because it brings together two traditionally left-leaning parties with one, the Free Democrats, that has tended to ally with the center-right.

Few Details from Closed-Door Talks

Few details have emerged from the closed-doors talks, including how the parties will divide up the ministerial portfolios.

preliminary agreement last month indicated that Germany would bring forward its deadline for ending the use of coal-fueled power from 2038 to 2030, while expanding the rollout of renewable energy generation.

At the Free Democrats’ insistence, the prospective partners said they won’t raise taxes or loosen curbs on running up debt, making financing a central issue.

Merkel’s Christian Democrats are currently preoccupied with a leadership contest over who will become their next leader and revive the party’s fortunes after it suffered its worst-ever election result.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

UP NEXT

Trump Says Everyone Should Immediately Evacuate Tehran

Fed Keeps Rates Steady but Pencils in Two Cuts by End of 2025, Warns of Inflation Ahead

2 hours ago

Putin Says He Does Not Want to Discuss the Possible Israeli-US Killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader

2 hours ago

Trump Faces Uproar From MAGA Base Over Possible Iran Strike

WASHINGTON – The prospect of a U.S. strike against Iran has exposed divisions in the coalition of supporters that brought President Do...

1 hour ago

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) hat as he attends the commencement ceremony at West Point Military Academy in West Point, New York, U.S., May 24, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
1 hour ago

Trump Faces Uproar From MAGA Base Over Possible Iran Strike

1 hour ago

Iran Would Accept Trump’s Offer to Meet Soon, New York Times Reports

2 hours ago

Meta in Talks to Hire Former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman to Join AI Efforts, The Information Reports

2 hours ago

Fed Keeps Rates Steady but Pencils in Two Cuts by End of 2025, Warns of Inflation Ahead

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via a video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia June 10, 2025. (Reuters File)
2 hours ago

Putin Says He Does Not Want to Discuss the Possible Israeli-US Killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader

3 hours ago

A Little Coffee With Your Whiskey? Downtown Fresno Gets New Craft Cocktail Lounge

President Donald Trump talks about the new flag pole being installed on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, Wednesday, June, 18, 2025. President Trump decided to check the immigration status of a work crew installing a new flagpole at the White House. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
3 hours ago

‘Any Illegal Immigrants?’ Trump Quizzes Workers at the White House

3 hours ago

What Is Juneteenth and When Did It Become a US Federal Holiday?

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend