Pressure builds on German Social Democrats over coalition talks

Record ID: 938970

  • Title: Pressure builds on German Social Democrats over coalition talks
  • Date: 23rd November 2017
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (NOVEMBER 22, 2017) (REUTERS) SPD PARLIAMENTARY MEMBER JOHANNES KAHRS IN CONVERSATION CLOSE OF PHONE (SOUNDBITE) (German) SPD PARLIAMENTARY MEMBER JOHANNES KAHRS, SAYING: "We have been going through this for eight weeks now. Time and again on that balcony it was obvious that they were failing. And we said: fine, we are not the emergency safety pin, and everyone in the party agreed. But then President Frank-Walter Steinmeier turned up, firstly he is imbued with the authority of the constitution and secondly he is a good man and a good social democrat. And if he says now everyone has to talk to each other then that is what we have to do. Then we have to move. That is the essence of a democracy. It is about being willing to make compromises. And that is a lot less embarrassing than Mr. Lindner (Christian Lindner - FDP chief) who stamps his feet just because he gets 75 percent of his wish list and not 100 percent and then says 'now I don't want to play anymore'." FDP LEADER CHRISTIAN LINDNER GREETING OTHER PARLIAMENTARIANS PARLIAMENT CORRIDOR (SOUNDBITE) (German) SPD PARLIAMENTARY MEMBER, BERND WESTPHAL, SAYING: "Well, a lot has happened in the last eight weeks. I think what the electorate now wants is for us to get on with it and form a stable government. The fact that the Jamaica coalition failed can be laid at Merkel's door. It was badly prepared, both in content and the atmosphere (of the talks). The DNA of the people who were meeting together was so far apart that it was destined to fail. And now the social democrats have to reevaluate themselves. I have done this for myself and for me the option is at least now there to hold talks with the CDU/CSU." PEOPLE ON PHONES IN PARLIAMENT
  • Embargoed: 7th December 2017 11:44
  • Keywords: Social Democrats SPD Martin Schulz coalition talks German government
  • Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
  • City: BERLIN, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
  • Reuters ID: LVA00678P3SJR
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Pressure is mounting on Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) to consider offering coalition talks to Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives to settle the worst political crisis in modern German history.
    Merkel's efforts to forge a three-way coalition with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and Greens collapsed last weekend, raising fears across Europe of a prolonged leadership vacuum in the continent's economic powerhouse.
    SPD leader Martin Schulz, whose party had governed in coalition under Merkel since 2013, wants to go into opposition after September polls that knocked its support to the lowest levels since formation of the modern German republic in 1949.
    But the mass-circulation Bild newspaper said 30 members of the SPD's 153-strong parliamentary group questioned that position this week at a meeting of the parliamentary party.
    SPD lawmaker Johannes Kahrs, spokesman for the Seeheimer Circle, a conservative wing in the party, urged Schulz to keep an open mind when he meets with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Thursday (November 23).
    Steinmeier, a former SPD lawmaker and foreign minister, was due to meet party leader Schulz at 1400 GMT as part of his efforts to help facilitate a coalition government and avoid fresh elections.
    Merkel, who remains acting chancellor until a government is agreed, has said she would prefer to work with the SPD. If that failed, she would favour new elections over an unstable minority government.
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