Triple alliance deal to bring curtain down on Merkel’s reign
THREE German parties have reached a deal to form a new government that will end the era of the long-time chancellor, Angela Merkel, according to Olaf Scholz, who is poised to replace her.
Scholz, of the centre-left Social Democrats, said the new government would not seek “the lowest common denominator, but the politics of big impacts”.
He stressed the importance of a sovereign Europe, friendship with France and partnership with the United States as key cornerstones of the government’s foreign policy – continuing a long postwar tradition. Scholz said he expects members of the parties to give their blessing to the deal within 10 days.
The Social Democrats have been negotiating with the environmentalist Green party and the pro-business Free Democrats since narrowly winning a national election on September 26. If party members sign off on it, the threeway alliance – which has never yet been tried in a national government – will replace the current “grand coalition” of the country’s traditional big parties.
The Social Democrats have served as the junior partner to Merkel’s centreright Christian Democrats.
Merkel, who did not run for a fifth term, is expected to be succeeded by Scholz, 63, who has been her finance minister and vice chancellor since 2018. The three would-be governing parties have said they hope parliament will elect Scholz as chancellor in the week beginning December 6.
Before that can happen, the deal requires approval from a ballot of the Greens’ roughly 125,000-strong membership and from conventions of the other two parties. News of the deal came as Merkel led what was likely to be her last Cabinet meeting. Scholz presented the 67-year-old, who has led Germany since 2005, with a bouquet of flowers.