Germany Edging Closer To Government
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
(Worthy News) – Germany, Europe’s largest economy, came a step closer to having a new government Thursday some 10 days after the German center-left Social Democrats won parliamentary elections.
In a breakthrough, the Greens and pro-business liberals agreed to start exploratory coalition talks with them.
Thursday’s talks with the “kingmakers” mean center-left leader Olaf Scholz is getting closer to realize his dream of becoming Germany’s chancellor.
It is a blow to the conservatives’ leader Armin Laschet, who presided over their worst-ever electoral performance. He has not yet given up: “We are also ready for further talks.”
However, the head of his CDU’s sister party in Bavaria, Markus Söder, has reportedly described the decision by the Greens and liberal FDP as a “de facto rejection” of a conservative-led government.
It comes as Chancellor Angela Merkel’s 16-year tenure is about to end, leaving behind a fractured European Union facing significant challenges about its future direction.
While the two Green and liberal German parties came third and fourth in last month’s elections, they are most popular among young voters.
The center-right CDU/CSU alliance – known as the Union – attracted 24.1 percent of the vote on September 26.
However, the Social Democrats won 25.7% and received the most seats in parliament, the Bundestag.
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