Merkel and SPD agree to enter coalition negotiations

Leading members of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative CDU/CSU alliance and the main opposition Social Democrats (SPD) agreed on Thursday to enter formal coalition negotiations. SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel told reporters that they had a positive meeting and now they would propose to their mini congress to begin negotiations for a coalition government with the CDU/CSU. The negotiation teams of the CDU/CSU and Social Democrats have reached a common ground on their third round of preliminary talks on Thursday afternoon. The conservatives have signaled compromise on the key demand of Social Democrats on introducing a nationwide legal minimum wage. SPD signaled flexibility in its earlier demand of increasing tax rates for the wealthy. The parties now will try to get approval from their decision-making bodies for starting formal coalition talks and determine their negotiation positions. CDU/CSU will hold their party meetings on Friday. SPD’s mini party convention will convene on Sunday and decide on whether or not to proceed to "formal coalition negotiations" with the CDU/CSU alliance. The formal negotiations can start as early as next Wednesday and they are expected to continue for weeks. The formation of a new coalition government may be extended to December. At the end of the formal negotiations, any preliminary agreement with the CDU/CSU still has to be approved by the 470 thousand members of the SPD in a mini-referendum.