GERMANY: Party leaders arrive for the final round of coalition negotiations between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Social Democrats

Record ID: 862825

  • Title: GERMANY: Party leaders arrive for the final round of coalition negotiations between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Social Democrats
  • Date: 26th November 2013
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (NOVEMBER 26, 2013) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF SPD (SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY) HEADQUARTERS PLACARD AT HEADQUARTERS READING (German): "MEMBER'S VOTE" CUBE WITH SPD SIGN OUTSIDE SPD HEADQUARTERS VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATION ACROSS ROAD DEMANDING SPD MEMBERS VOTE ON COALITION AGREEMENT CAR CARRYING GERMAN CHANCELLOR AND CDU (CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC UNION) LEADER, ANGELA MERKEL, ARRIVING / MERKEL GETTING OUT / GREETING CSU (CHRISTIAN SOCIALIST PARTY) HEAD, HORST SEEHOFER / WALKING TOWARDS BUILDING CAMERAS MERKEL AND SEEHOFER WALKING INTO BUILDING VARIOUS OF SEMI-NAKED PROTESTER WITH "MEMBER'S VOTE" WRITTEN ON HIS LEGS BEING TAKEN AWAY BY POLICE
  • Embargoed: 11th December 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • City:
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAB3SUN2BRJL09ZGV6IP6X7W0ZL
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Chancellor Angela Merkel and the leader of Germany's CSU (Christian Socialist Party), Horst Seehofer, arrived on Tuesday (November 26) lunch-time for a negotiation meeting with the leader of Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) to try to hammer out a "grand coalition" agreement in a decisive round of negotiations expected to last until far beyond midnight.
    The final scheduled round of talks between Merkel's conservatives and the SPD begins at 7:30 p.m. (1830 GMT). They have a long list of unresolved issues to sort out that subordinates failed to agree on during a month of negotiations.
    Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and their Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) allies soundly defeated the SPD in an election two months ago but failed to win a parliamentary majority, forcing her into talks with the SPD.
    Negotiations have dragged on, leaving Merkel's outgoing centre-right coalition in charge in a caretaker role but unable to move on urgent European policy decisions.
    Among the key issues that Germany's two leading parties have not agreed on are on a national minimum wage that the SPD wants, details of energy policies and expensive changes to the pension system that the two sides have different views on.
    The parties are expected to overcome their remaining differences by early Wednesday even though there is an element of uncertainty how some of these issues, especially public spending, will be resolved.
    SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel, whose party is hosting the final round in their Willy-Brandt-Haus party headquarters building, will have a difficult task convincing the grassroots to back any coalition deal that does not contain the big public spending boost they had called for in the election.
    Gabriel will go into campaign mode on Thursday to try to persuade the party's 474,000 members to vote for the coalition agreement. The results of the ballot will be known on Dec. 14.
    Some of the critical rhetoric from both camps is posturing. By taking a sceptical line, both the SPD and CDU are sending the message to each other that they can live without a deal.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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