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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/17/germany-social-democrats-divided-grand-coalition-vote-angela-merkel
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| Embattled Schulz tries to sell coalition deal to sceptical SPD | Embattled Schulz tries to sell coalition deal to sceptical SPD |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Leading Social Democrats in Germany are engaged in a fierce battle of wills ahead of a crunch vote on Sunday over whether to endorse in-depth coalition negotiations with Angela Merkel’s conservatives. | Leading Social Democrats in Germany are engaged in a fierce battle of wills ahead of a crunch vote on Sunday over whether to endorse in-depth coalition negotiations with Angela Merkel’s conservatives. |
| The party has become the focal point of a tense political drama almost four months after an inconclusive election left Germany in a state of limbo. If delegates at a special conference on Sunday vote against a grand coalition, Germany will be heading either for new elections or a minority government, neither of which is a popular choice and will leave Merkel’s political future hanging by a thread. | The party has become the focal point of a tense political drama almost four months after an inconclusive election left Germany in a state of limbo. If delegates at a special conference on Sunday vote against a grand coalition, Germany will be heading either for new elections or a minority government, neither of which is a popular choice and will leave Merkel’s political future hanging by a thread. |
| Martin Schulz, the SPD’s embattled leader, has been criss-crossing the country this week in an effort to secure party members’ backing for a deal. He said on Wednesday it was difficult to tell whether he had the support of enough delegates. | Martin Schulz, the SPD’s embattled leader, has been criss-crossing the country this week in an effort to secure party members’ backing for a deal. He said on Wednesday it was difficult to tell whether he had the support of enough delegates. |
| Schulz said he was encouraged by signs that members had been “drawn together through our exchanges rather than torn apart” before the conference in Bonn. | Schulz said he was encouraged by signs that members had been “drawn together through our exchanges rather than torn apart” before the conference in Bonn. |
| But the SPD faithful are riven over the issue, with some arguing that to enter into another grand coalition, or “GroKo”, with Merkel’s conservative alliance could further damage the party’s popularity and possibly even lead to its disintegration. | But the SPD faithful are riven over the issue, with some arguing that to enter into another grand coalition, or “GroKo”, with Merkel’s conservative alliance could further damage the party’s popularity and possibly even lead to its disintegration. |
| The rise of the rightwing populist and anti-immigrant Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) looms large in the debate. Some in the SPD say that by siding with Merkel, the party would ease the way for the AfD – which entered the Bundestag for the first time in September – to become the largest opposition force in parliament. | The rise of the rightwing populist and anti-immigrant Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) looms large in the debate. Some in the SPD say that by siding with Merkel, the party would ease the way for the AfD – which entered the Bundestag for the first time in September – to become the largest opposition force in parliament. |
| Sigmar Gabriel, the party’s former leader and now the foreign minister, said the world was looking to Germany to find a swift solution. “It is no exaggeration: this coming Sunday it’s not only Europe that is looking spellbound at the SPD party conference, but many people far further afield. The world will be watching Bonn for real on Sunday,” he said. | Sigmar Gabriel, the party’s former leader and now the foreign minister, said the world was looking to Germany to find a swift solution. “It is no exaggeration: this coming Sunday it’s not only Europe that is looking spellbound at the SPD party conference, but many people far further afield. The world will be watching Bonn for real on Sunday,” he said. |
| The looming decision has plunged Germany’s oldest political party into nothing less than an existential crisis. Leading the opposition to a coalition is the party’s youth wing, the Jusos (Young Socialists), who have coined the phrase “NoGroKo” to sum up their campaign against what they say would be nothing short of a betrayal of social democratic values. | The looming decision has plunged Germany’s oldest political party into nothing less than an existential crisis. Leading the opposition to a coalition is the party’s youth wing, the Jusos (Young Socialists), who have coined the phrase “NoGroKo” to sum up their campaign against what they say would be nothing short of a betrayal of social democratic values. |
| Schulz has concentrated his campaigning efforts on Germany’s largest state, North Rhine-Westphalia, home to about a quarter of the 600 delegates due in Bonn. The state’s SPD faction – unlike others elsewhere in Germany – has declined to publicly position itself ahead of the vote. | Schulz has concentrated his campaigning efforts on Germany’s largest state, North Rhine-Westphalia, home to about a quarter of the 600 delegates due in Bonn. The state’s SPD faction – unlike others elsewhere in Germany – has declined to publicly position itself ahead of the vote. |
| Leaving a meeting of party delegates in a Düsseldorf hotel on Tuesday, Schulz was greeted by Jusos members’ angry cries of “Nie, nie, nie wieder Gro Ko” (Never, never, never again GroKo). | Leaving a meeting of party delegates in a Düsseldorf hotel on Tuesday, Schulz was greeted by Jusos members’ angry cries of “Nie, nie, nie wieder Gro Ko” (Never, never, never again GroKo). |
| Kevin Kühnert, the head of Jusos, has emerged as a political star and is regarded as the biggest danger to Merkel, having rallied the party base and won considerable support for his cause. The 28-year-old politics student from Berlin has called the mood among the party’s base “devastating”. | Kevin Kühnert, the head of Jusos, has emerged as a political star and is regarded as the biggest danger to Merkel, having rallied the party base and won considerable support for his cause. The 28-year-old politics student from Berlin has called the mood among the party’s base “devastating”. |
| Kühnert has said he did not join the SPD “in order to see it repeatedly bang its head against the same brick wall”. Young members of the party, he has argued, “have an interest in seeing that something of this joint remains, damn it.” The party’s restoration as a leading political force in Germany “will either take place outside a grand coalition or it won’t happen at all,” he has said. | Kühnert has said he did not join the SPD “in order to see it repeatedly bang its head against the same brick wall”. Young members of the party, he has argued, “have an interest in seeing that something of this joint remains, damn it.” The party’s restoration as a leading political force in Germany “will either take place outside a grand coalition or it won’t happen at all,” he has said. |
| The party’s leadership, including Andreas Nahles, the chair of the SPD parliamentary group and a former Jusos head, have been rattled by the passion shown by the Jusos members and by opinion polls showing the party has slipped to 18.5% – one of its lowest ratings – after it agreed last week on a 28-page prototype coalition action plan. Internal critics say the blueprint bears little resemblance to the party’s ideals. Sticking points include health, pensions and education. | The party’s leadership, including Andreas Nahles, the chair of the SPD parliamentary group and a former Jusos head, have been rattled by the passion shown by the Jusos members and by opinion polls showing the party has slipped to 18.5% – one of its lowest ratings – after it agreed last week on a 28-page prototype coalition action plan. Internal critics say the blueprint bears little resemblance to the party’s ideals. Sticking points include health, pensions and education. |
| Even if SPD delegates vote in favour of a coalition, the drama will be far from over. More serious talks between the SPD and the conservatives could begin immediately and would be expected to last around two weeks. but Schulz would then insist on putting the final agreement to the party’s 450,000 members in a postal vote, which could take a further three weeks. | Even if SPD delegates vote in favour of a coalition, the drama will be far from over. More serious talks between the SPD and the conservatives could begin immediately and would be expected to last around two weeks. but Schulz would then insist on putting the final agreement to the party’s 450,000 members in a postal vote, which could take a further three weeks. |
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