- Title: German party leaders meet to prepare for intense coalition talks
- Date: 22nd January 2018
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (JANUARY 22, 2018) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** GERMAN SOCIAL DEMOCRAT (SPD) LEADER MARTIN SCHULZ ARRIVING AT HEADQUARTERS OF CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC UNION (CDU) FOR TALKS WITH CDU LEADER ANGELA MERKEL AND CSU LEADER HORST SEEHOFER CDU LOGO (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN SOCIAL DEMOCRAT (SPD) LEADER, MARTIN SCHULZ, SAYING: "My meeting with Mrs. Merkel and Mr. Seehofer this evening serves to define the next steps which are now possible after our party conference resolution. The Social Democrats are going in to these coalition negotiations with the goal of forming a new government, one which improves the lives of people in our country but also fulfills Germany's international responsibilities, especially regarding the European Union and European unity. This is the spirit in which I shall be conducting the talks here this evening. Thank you." SCHULZ ENTERING CDU HEADQUARTERS SCHULZ WALKING INSIDE VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF CDU HEADQUARTERS DUESSELDORF, GERMANY (JANUARY 22, 2018) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF POLITICAL SCIENTIST STEFAN MARSCHALL SITTING AT COMPUTER BOOKS ON POLITICS (SOUNDBITE) (English) POLITICAL SCIENTIST, STEFAN MARSCHALL, SAYING: "After this decision of the Social Democrats the formal coalition talks can start right away. And after the coalition talks we will have a vote of the members of the Social Democratic party on the draft version of the treaty. And if that is adopted, then we will have a government soon. Then there will be the election of the chancellor and the forming of the government." BOOKS ON POLITICS (SOUNDBITE) (English) POLITICAL SCIENTIST, STEFAN MARSCHALL, SAYING: "The Social Democrats will be difficult or complex partners within this coalition government, because they have no euphoric approach to this initiative. So they have been very reluctant. There's big opposition within the party against a Grand Coalition, so in that way the Social Democrats will be complicated within this coalition government. They will not be an easy partner for the Christian Democrats." BOOKS ON POLITICS MARSCHALL SPEAKING ON PHONE
- Embargoed: 5th February 2018 17:50
- Keywords: SPD Martin Schulz Angela Merkel coalition Germany election markets
- Location: BERLIN AND DUESSELDORF, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN AND DUESSELDORF, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA0017Z71GEF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The leader of Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) Martin Schulz arrived at the headquarters of potential coalition partner the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) on Monday evening (January 22), for talks with CDU leader Angela Merkel and the head of its Bavarian sister party the CSU, Horst Seehofer.
The party leaders were meeting to sketch out the next steps after delegates at an SPD party congress voted to enter coalition talks with Merkel's conservative bloc on Sunday (January 21).
Eyeing a fourth term as chancellor, Merkel wants the SPD to agree to a re-run of the 'grand coalition' that has ruled Europe's economic powerhouse since 2013. However, a final coalition deal is far from guaranteed.
The SPD has demanded improvements to a coalition blueprint agreed earlier this month to appeal to their wary 443,000 members who will be balloted on any coalition deal. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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