German Greens eye coalition with SPD, liberals
BERLIN-Germany’sGreencoleader Annalena Baerbock said on Wednesday that her party wanted to try to form a three-way coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD) and the liberal FDP, dealing a blow to Angela Merkel’s conservatives.
After preliminary talks with the SPD and Merkel’s CDU-CSU, which came first and second in a 26 September general election, the Greens “believe it makes sense... to have in-depth talks with the SPD and FDP”, Baerbock told reporters.
The Greens and the FDP, which came third and fourth in the vote, are not natural bedfellows.
But they have emerged as kingmakers to the two bigger parties, with both the SPD and the conservatives needing their help if they want to lead the next government.
Baerbock said Germany faced “great challenges” and needed “a new beginning”.
“This country can’t afford a lengthy stalemate,” she said about the Greens’ proposal to swiftly move onto the next phase of formal, exploratory coalition talks.
All sides are eager to avoid a repeat of the 2017 election aftermath, when coalition wrangling went on for months.
The move brings Finance Minister Olaf Scholz from the
Co-leaders of Germany’s Greens Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck give a press conference in Berlin on 6 October 2021. The party wants to try to form a three-way coalition with the Social Democrats and the liberal FDP, dealing a blow to Angela Merkel’s conservatives.
SPD a step closer to becoming Germany’s new chancellor.
A tie-up between the SPD, Greens and FDP, which would be a first in Germany, has been dubbed a “traffic light” constellation after the parties’ red, green and yellow colours.
The Greens’ clear preference for an SPD-led government deals a further setback to beleaguered CDU leader Armin Laschet, who led the conservatives to their worst election result in post-war German history.
Merkel herself is bowing out after 16 years in power, although she will stay on in a caretaker capacity throughout the coalition wrangling.
Green co-leader Robert Habeck, speaking at the same press conference, said the Greens had asked the FDP to accept the offer of entering three-way talks with the SPD.
He said while there was some common ground with the conservatives, there were “significant differences” too.
The informal talks over the last few days had shown there was “more overlap” with the Social Democrats, he said, on issues like climate protection, social justice and European integration.