As members of Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) prepare to vote on possible coalition talks with Angela Merkel’s conservatives (CDU), a new poll says most SPD supporters don’t want another “grand coalition”.
The recent poll asked SPD supporters and Merkel’s CDU/CSU bloc which potential government SPD leaders should they back.
Among SPD voters, only 28% opted for a coalition. However, more than half (57%) said the SPD should support a Merkel-led minority government.
After receiving just 20.5% of the vote in September’s national election, the SPD announced it would go into opposition and not reprise its role as the junior governing partner to Merkel’s conservatives.
Under pressure after talks between the Conservatives, the Greens and the Liberal Free Democrats collapsed late last month, SPD leader Martin Schulz said his party would consider the possibility.
SPD leadership unanimously agreed on Monday (4 December) to begin talks with the CDU and CSU, pending a vote among party members later this week at the SPD’s national party congress in Berlin.
Schulz said all options were on the table and that a grand coalition was not the “automatic” outcome of talks.
