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| Germany's SPD gives cautious green light to coalition talks with Merkel | Germany's SPD gives cautious green light to coalition talks with Merkel |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Party leader Martin Schulz’s speech greeted with sarcastic applause and standing ovations for his fiercest critics | Party leader Martin Schulz’s speech greeted with sarcastic applause and standing ovations for his fiercest critics |
| Philip Oltermann | Philip Oltermann |
| Sun 21 Jan 2018 15.31 GMT | Sun 21 Jan 2018 15.31 GMT |
| Last modified on Sun 21 Jan 2018 17.09 GMT | |
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| Germany has inched one step further towards forming a new government after the centre-left Social Democratic party gave its lukewarm endorsement of a renewed Angela Merkel-led “grand coalition”. | Germany has inched one step further towards forming a new government after the centre-left Social Democratic party gave its lukewarm endorsement of a renewed Angela Merkel-led “grand coalition”. |
| At a special SPD congress in Bonn that welcomed leader Martin Schulz’s main speech with sarcastic applause and saw standing ovations for his fiercest critics, the party’s delegates nonetheless gave a cautious green light to the second and final stage of coalition talks with Merkel’s centre-right Christian Democrats. | At a special SPD congress in Bonn that welcomed leader Martin Schulz’s main speech with sarcastic applause and saw standing ovations for his fiercest critics, the party’s delegates nonetheless gave a cautious green light to the second and final stage of coalition talks with Merkel’s centre-right Christian Democrats. |
| “The SPD must and will be visible, audible and recognisable!” said Schulz at the end of a week of rallying support at party offices across the country. | “The SPD must and will be visible, audible and recognisable!” said Schulz at the end of a week of rallying support at party offices across the country. |
| The former president of the European parliament defended the results of the initial phase of exploratory talks, insisting that the resulting coalition paper represented “a revolution” in German education policy, as well as “a manifesto for a European Germany”. | The former president of the European parliament defended the results of the initial phase of exploratory talks, insisting that the resulting coalition paper represented “a revolution” in German education policy, as well as “a manifesto for a European Germany”. |
| “If we want to shape things in and for Europe, then we cannot wait a few more years,” Schulz said. “Important decisions have to be made now – not in three, four, five years.” | “If we want to shape things in and for Europe, then we cannot wait a few more years,” Schulz said. “Important decisions have to be made now – not in three, four, five years.” |
| But the reaction of the 600 delegates to the SPD leader’s speech remained reserved throughout. When Schulz said he had fielded a call from the French president, Emanuel Macron, on Saturday, there were audibly sarcastic groans from members who would prefer their party to emulate the more overtly left-leaning policies of the British Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, instead. | But the reaction of the 600 delegates to the SPD leader’s speech remained reserved throughout. When Schulz said he had fielded a call from the French president, Emanuel Macron, on Saturday, there were audibly sarcastic groans from members who would prefer their party to emulate the more overtly left-leaning policies of the British Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, instead. |
| In the wake of September elections at which the SPD were punished with the worst national election result since Germany became a federal republic in 1949, many supporters believe the party needs to reinvent itself in opposition. | In the wake of September elections at which the SPD were punished with the worst national election result since Germany became a federal republic in 1949, many supporters believe the party needs to reinvent itself in opposition. |
| The lukewarm endorsement of Schulz’s speech contrasted with enthusiastic applause for the 28-year-old leader of the Young Socialists, the SPD’s youth branch. | The lukewarm endorsement of Schulz’s speech contrasted with enthusiastic applause for the 28-year-old leader of the Young Socialists, the SPD’s youth branch. |
| Kevin Kühnert, who has become the most prominent face of the internal campaign against a renewal of the alliance that has governed Germany for the past four years, said he felt his party was trapped in an “endless loop” of coalition-forming under Merkel: “We don’t want to, but we have to.” | Kevin Kühnert, who has become the most prominent face of the internal campaign against a renewal of the alliance that has governed Germany for the past four years, said he felt his party was trapped in an “endless loop” of coalition-forming under Merkel: “We don’t want to, but we have to.” |
| Around Bonn’s World Conference Centre, many SPD supporters sported red gnomes’ hats – a reference to conservative politicians who have dismissed the campaign of Kühnert’s coalition-sceptics as “the uprising of the dwarves”. | Around Bonn’s World Conference Centre, many SPD supporters sported red gnomes’ hats – a reference to conservative politicians who have dismissed the campaign of Kühnert’s coalition-sceptics as “the uprising of the dwarves”. |
| “Let’s be dwarves today,” the Young Socialist leader said in his speech, “so that one day we can again be giants.” | “Let’s be dwarves today,” the Young Socialist leader said in his speech, “so that one day we can again be giants.” |
| Germany | Germany |
| Angela Merkel | Angela Merkel |
| Europe | Europe |
| news | news |
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