Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) has approved a coalition agreement with the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU), securing the final step needed to form a new government under Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz.
According to public broadcaster ARD, 84.6% of SPD members voted in favor of the deal during an internal online ballot that concluded late Wednesday. The vote saw a 56% participation rate, surpassing the required 20% threshold and making the outcome binding.
SPD Secretary General Matthias Miersch is expected to announce the official results at a press conference later today.
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) ratified the coalition agreement earlier this week at a special party congress in Berlin, while its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), gave its approval earlier this month.
With the SPD's backing now confirmed, leaders from both parties are set to formally sign the coalition agreement next Monday. Germany’s Bundestag will then meet on May 6 to elect Merz as chancellor, officially ending Olaf Scholz’s term.
In February’s snap elections, the CDU/CSU alliance secured 28.5% of the vote—falling short of a majority—while the SPD recorded its lowest result ever at 16.4%. Nonetheless, the two parties together command 328 seats in parliament, well above the 316-seat threshold required to govern.
The new coalition is expected to focus on issues including economic competitiveness, defense, and immigration reform, as Merz prepares to lead a centrist-right government following years of Social Democratic leadership.
Rescue teams and residents in Venezuela are continuing to search for survivors after twin earthquakes killed more than 900 people and left thousands i...
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose 100% tariffs on imports from any country that adopts a digital services tax. The move escalated t...
Australia booked its place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 after a tense goalless draw with Paraguay. Already-eliminated Türkiye ended its cam...
The United States has seized nearly 400 internet domains accused of illegally streaming World Cup matches, in what officials described as a major effo...
Burkina Faso has severed diplomatic relations with France, widening a years-long rupture with its former colonial ruler and marking the latest diploma...
An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck Japan's northeast coast on Thursday, but no tsunami warning was issued, no injuries were immediately reported and no irregularities were found at nuclear facilities, the authorities said.
As Western Europe battles a deadly heatwave that has shattered temperature records, disrupted transport and power supplies, and forced the closure of schools and cultural landmarks, attention is turning to whether El Niño is playing a role in the extreme conditions.
The U.S. Senate rejected a resolution on Wednesday that would have directed President Donald Trump to remove U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress formally authorised military action.
The Kremlin has denied a Wall Street Journal report claiming Moscow is pressuring Belarus to support an expanded Russian military campaign in Ukraine.
Tens of thousands of people are still unaccounted for after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. At least 589 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds are believed to be trapped under rubble, as emergency crews and international rescue teams race to respond.
Rescue teams and residents in Venezuela are continuing to search for survivors after twin earthquakes killed more than 900 people and left thousands injured.
Burkina Faso has severed diplomatic relations with France, widening a years-long rupture with its former colonial ruler and marking the latest diplomatic break between France and military-led governments in the Sahel.
Sweden discriminated against vulnerable European Union migrants, many of them from the Roma community, by denying them equal access to healthcare, the European Committee of Social Rights has ruled.
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose 100% tariffs on imports from any country that adopts a digital services tax. The move escalated tensions with trading partners over levies that Washington argues unfairly target American technology companies.
The United Nations' top human rights official has called for independent investigations into deaths in U.S. immigration detention facilities, citing a rise in fatalities among people held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment