Merkel closer to ending impasse over coalition Hiring staff ‘a challenge’

Chancellor Angela Merkel has taken a significant step towards ending Germany’s lengthy political impasse by securing a preliminary agreement to enter formal coalition talks with a centre-left party.

The deal was welcomed by Germany’s European allies, but her prospective partner faces a tough task to sell it to sceptics.

Exhausted negotiators from Merkel’s conservative Union bloc and the centreleft Social Democrats presented their deal, which includes pledges to strengthen the EU and keep a lid on the number of migrants entering Germany, after more than 24 hours of talks to cap a week of wrangling.

“We have achieved outstanding results,” said the Social Democrats’ leader, Martin Schulz.

But to make a new government a reality, he must persuade a party congress on January 21 to agree to formal coalition negotiations.

If those talks are successful, he must steer a coalition deal through a ballot of the full party membership. Recruiting more men and ethnic minority staff could help the childcare sector find the new staff it needs to fulfil a Scottish Government pledge to double the hours of free care.

The sector will need to take on up to 11,000 new workers. A new skills investment plan said the recruitment of workers “remains a challenge” for the industry.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Picture: AP.