Election platform closed: SPD members have voted on coalition

Election platform closed SPD members have voted on coalition 30.04.2025, 02:38

The vote on the coalition agreement between the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) is over; SPD members were allowed to cast their votes until 11:59 p.m. Now it's time to sleep in again: The public won't find out whether the path is clear for the new government until this morning.

SPD members have voted on the coalition agreement with the CDU and CSU. The 358,000 SPD members were able to cast their votes for 15 days, and the digital polling station closed at 11:59 p.m. The results are expected to be announced this morning around 10:30 a.m.

The Social Democratic leader of Rhineland-Palatinate said he expects a yes vote. "I am confident that we will achieve a sustainable vote in the members' vote," Alexander Schweitzer told the "Rheinische Post" newspaper. "We have negotiated a good coalition agreement, and it contains a lot of social democracy. It is a strong compromise between the CDU/CSU and the SPD," he praised the coalition agreement. "I am sure that our members know what it means that the people of Germany now expect a powerful government that will get started and implement the coalition agreement and position our country well and competitively in difficult times," he added.

If a majority does indeed approve, nothing stands in the way of the signing of the 144-page coalition agreement, scheduled for next Monday. The election of CDU leader Friedrich Merz as chancellor is scheduled for one day later. The CSU executive board and a small CDU party conference have already approved the coalition agreement, entitled "Responsibility for Germany." In the SPD membership vote, in addition to a majority of votes, the participation of 20 percent of party members is required, which, according to the party, was already achieved on Monday.

Juso leadership is against coalition agreement

With a minimum wage of €15 and a tax cut for low and middle incomes, the SPD has enshrined some of its campaign promises in the coalition agreement. However, the planned tightening of migration and social policy is controversial. The leadership of the Young Socialists (Jusos) has therefore rejected the agreement and called for renegotiations.

Nevertheless, majority approval of the agreement is considered highly likely. This is also due to the fact that the only alternatives to a black-red coalition would be a coalition between the CDU/CSU and AfD, a minority government, or new elections. Only after the coalition agreement has been approved will the SPD present its seven ministers for the new government next Monday. It is considered certain that Boris Pistorius will remain Defense Minister. It is also likely that party leader Lars Klingbeil will become Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister.

The SPD also held a vote on the coalition agreements with the CDU/CSU in 2013 and 2018. Both times, the vote was overwhelmingly positive. In 2018, 78.4 percent of members participated, and 66 percent voted yes. In 2013, the approval rate was as high as 76 percent.