Merkel steps back from the brink after all-night talks bring coalition deal closer

ANGELA MERKEL clinched a breakthrough deal with Germany’s second largest political party, including a pledge to cap the number of refugees entering the country, after “turbulent” late-night coalition talks.

After more than 24 hours of discussions, Mrs Merkel yesterday morning agreed a 28-page blueprint for coalition negotiations with the Social Democrats (SPD), paving the way for a deal that could save her chancellorship.

The deal later cleared another hurdle when the SPD board gave it the green light, despite anger directed at the previous coalition over the party’s poor showing in last year’s elections.

The paper agrees to cap the number of refugees allowed to join their families in Germany at 1,000 a month, despite the centre-left SPD’S push to lift current restrictions on family reunification, which run out in March.

Without any restrictions, an additional 200,000 to 300,000 Syrians and Iraqis could come to Germany to join their relatives, according to estimates from the German foreign ministry.

The parties also agreed a deal on overall immigration to Germany, deciding that it should be capped at between 180,000 and 220,000, marking a victory for the Right wings of Mrs Merkel’s union parties.

Germany took in more than a million migrants in 2015 and 2016, due to Mrs Merkel’s “open door policy” during the world’s greatest displacement crisis since the Second World War. But after her Christian Democratic Union party lost ground to the hard-right Alternative for Germany (AFD) party in

September’s election, party members were keen to implement a cap.

Mrs Merkel said that the negotiations had been “tough” and that there were “big obstacles” to overcome, as the parties also had to find agreement on public finances and Europe.

According to the German newspaper Bild, a breakthrough was reached after Mrs Merkel’s conservatives ceded to SPD demands on healthcare. Agreements have also been reached on climate and finance policies.

Party leaders, who had been up all night in negotiations, looked tired but relieved yesterday morning.

“The negotiations tonight were intense,” said Horst Seehofer, leader of Mrs Merkel’s Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU).

Mrs Merkel said there had been “give and take” on both sides. She praised the “intensive, serious, and profound” negotiations.

Martin Schulz, leader of the SPD,

also hailed the “outstanding results” of the talks, which he admitted had been turbulent at times.

Mrs Merkel had been fighting to create a new governing coalition following disappointing results in last September’s general election.

Many SPD members were against renewing the coalition after the party received its worst result since the Second World War in general elections.

Mrs Merkel needs the negotiations to succeed to avoid further erosion of her personal authority and the weakening of German international influence. But Mr Schulz and Mr Seehofer also need to a political breakthrough, Karl-rudolf Korte a political analyst from Duisburg-essen University, has said. “The negotiations are not just about a coalition, but also their careers,” said Mr Korte.

“It would be the end for all three if this coalition does not come about,” he told public broadcaster ZDF.

‘ It would be the end for all three if this coalition does not come about’