With a narrow but clear majority, the congress of German Social Democrats of the SPD gave the green light to the Grand Coalition government with Angela Merkel: 362 yes, 279 no and one abstention.
Now the SPD is a divided party but, referendum of the members permitting, it can legitimately claim the merit of having saved Germany, giving it a government and avoiding recourse to new elections and a long period of instability. It was precisely the specter of new elections, which probably would have penalized even more the Social Democrats who came out of pieces after the last electoral consultation, the argument to which the leader Martin Schulz seized, contested by the young Jusos but able to center the government's goal. “It would be madness – he said forcefully – to give up the opportunity to go to the government to change Germany and to start the reform of the Eurozone”.
In addition to one Germany more European, the SPD is convinced to snatch in the final phase of the negotiations for the formation of the government, a fairer health care, a squeeze on fixed-term contracts and improvements in the field of pensions.
However, the last unknown remains because in a few weeks, at the end of the negotiations with Merkel, the agreement for the new government will be submitted to the referendum of the members of the SPD.
In Germany, however, the climate is one of trust and public opinion is convinced that in the end there will be a Grand Coalition government.
"We still have a lot of work to do but the way is clear for coalition negotiations" commented with a sigh Angela Merkel, who is about to form her fourth government.
