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Leader of Social Democrats, Merkel’s Coalition Partner, Announces Resignation Leader of Social Democrats, Merkel’s Coalition Partner, Announces Resignation
(32 minutes later)
The leader of Germany’s Social Democrats, the junior partner in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s governing coalition, announced on Sunday that she was resigning, raising fresh questions about the stability of the government after a weak showing by both parties in the elections for the European Parliament. The leader of Germany’s Social Democrats, the junior partner in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s governing coalition, announced on Sunday she was resigning, raising fresh questions about the stability of the government after a weak showing by both parties in the elections for the European Parliament.
The Social Democrats’ leader, Andrea Nahles, was elected in April 2018, bringing hope of reuniting the center-left party that was bleeding support and had suffered its worst showing in 155 years in the 2017 general election. But after more than a year under her leadership, the Social Democrats’ popularity has plunged further, earning only 15.8 percent support nationwide during the balloting for the European Parliament a week ago. The Social Democrats’ leader, Andrea Nahles, was elected in April 2018, bringing new hope of reuniting the center-left party that was bleeding support and had suffered its worst showing in 155 years in the 2017 general election.
Since then, Ms. Nahles has come under pressure from within her party, which has struggled to define itself in the shadow of the powerful chancellor and has failed to reinvent a modern narrative for its traditional role as the champion of social justice and workers’ rights in the era of globalization. But after more than a year under her leadership, the Social Democrats’s popularity has plunged further, earning only 15.8 percent support nationwide during the balloting for the European Parliament a week ago.
Ms. Nahles said in a statement sent to party members on Sunday, “The discussions within the parliamentary faction and feedback from within the party have shown me that I no longer have the necessary support to carry out my duties.”
She said she would formally hand in her resignation on Monday.She said she would formally hand in her resignation on Monday.
Ms. Nahles’s announcement came hours before the leaders of the Christian Democrats, Ms. Merkel’s party, were to convene to discuss their own record poor showing in the European election, in which the conservative bloc dropped below 30 percent support. The announcement came after Ms. Nahles came under intense pressure from the left-wing section of her party, whose members view quitting Ms. Merkel’s governing coalition as the only chance to re-orientate the center-left Social Democrats, who have bled support since first entering into the coalition with the conservatives in 2005.
In an interview published on Sunday before Ms. Nahles’s announced departure, Olaf Scholz, a member of the Social Democrats who serves as German’s finance minister and vice chancellor, told the Tagesspiegel daily newspaper that the party had ruled out entering another governing coalition with Ms. Merkel’s conservative bloc, known as a “grand coalition.”
“Three grand coalitions in a row would not do democracy in Germany any good,” Mr. Scholz said. . “Nobody would like to see the current coalition continued after 2021, not the people, not the conservatives and certainly not us Social Democrats,” he added.
Ms. Nahles’s resignation statement came hours before the leaders of the Christian Democrats, Ms. Merkel’s party, were to convene to discuss their own record poor showing in the European election, in which the conservative bloc dropped below 30 percent support.
Ms. Nahles, who served as labor minister in the Social Democrats’ previous coalition with the conservatives, helped to form the current coalition and has been critical to the government’s survival. Her departure raises questions about who, within her party, could fill that role.
The Social Democrats have struggled to define themselves in the shadow of the powerful chancellor and has failed to reinvent a modern narrative for its traditional role as the champion of social justice and workers’ rights in the era of globalization.
Ms. Merkel, who was awarded an honorary doctorate at Harvard University last week, was praised for introducing a minimum wage and same-sex marriage — both policies introduced by the Social Democrats.