Merkel finally secures deal to lead Germany for her fourth term

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has cleared the last major hurdle on her path to a fourth term after members of the centre-left Social Democrats voted in favour of continuing their governing coalition with her conservative bloc.

Yesterday’s decision ends almost six months of political uncertainty in Germany. It is the longest time the country has been without a government in its post-war history.

“I congratulate the SPD on this clear result and look forward to continuing to work together for the good of our country,” Ms Merkel’s party quoted her saying on Twitter.

The Social Democrats had furiously debated whether to extend the so-called grand coalition of left and right for another four years after suffering a slump in September’s election. Almost two-thirds of the valid votes cast by the party’s 464,000 members favoured a coalition deal with Ms Merkel’s Christian Democrats and their Bavarian sister party. Had the long-time German leader faced a “no” result, Ms Merkel said she would have been left with only two realistic options: forming a minority government or seeking a new election.

“This was a really important democratic decision for our country,” acting Social Democrat leader Olaf Scholz said in Berlin.

The Social Democrats will in the next few days put forward six names – three women and three men – to lead the ministries they will control in the upcoming coalition.

Parliament is expected to meet next week to elect Ms Merkel as chancellor.

She has worked since September, negotiating with rival parties to form a new government. After September’s national election, which saw the Social Democrats receive just 20.5 per cent of the vote and the anti-migrant Alternative for Germany party come in third place, then-social Democrats’ leader Martin Schulz ruled out another grand coalition with Ms Merkel. This forced the incumbent chancellor to negotiate with two smaller parties, one of which eventually rejected a deal. Pressure from German President Frank-walter Steinmeier prompted Mr Schulz to rethink and weeks of haggling between his party and Ms Merkel’s bloc resulted in a coalition agreement.

Fewer Social Democrats approved the deal this time round than in 2013 when 76 per cent backed a government with Ms Merkel.

Many Social Democrats had argued the party failed to make its mark on the last government. 0 Almost two-thirds of the votes cast by the party’s 464,000 members favoured a coalition deal with Ms Merkel’s party