Germany faces a question mark on its coalition government again!

Berlin, March 3: A leading Social Democrat on Saturday predicted 55 percent or more of SPD members would back a renewed coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives, and warned that a‘no’ vote would spell disaster for the party, Germany, and Europe.

The SPD’s 464,000 members must vote on whether to endorse a decision by party leaders to continue the“grand coalition” with Merkel’s conservative bloc that has ruled since 2013 despite the SPD’s significant losses in the September national election.

Rejection of another tie-up with conservatives“would be a disaster for Germany, the SPD and above all, for Europe,” Thomas Oppermann, vice president of the Bundestag lower house of parliament said.

Oppermann gave the Jusos credit for triggering a big debate in the party and said he expected its leader, Kevin Kuehnert, to continue to make his mark on the party.

He said the SPD needed to be more“self-confident, cheeky and ready for conflict” in the next coalition government.

“The biggest risk would be that we repeat what we did the last time,” he said, warning that a passive SPD stance could result in even worse election results after four years.

He said the FDP would examine legislative proposals on a case-by-case basis if Merkel was forced to form a minority government, but added:“Such a government would probably only last a few months anyway.”