Way clear to Chancellor election on 6 May
SPD joins in backing coalition agreement: signing to take place on Monday
Berlin (dpa) - Following the CSU and CDU, a large majority of SPD members have voted to approve the agreement to form a “black-red” coalition to govern Germany. This means there are no more obstacles to the signing of the coalition agreement on Monday of next week. Following this, the Bundestag, where CDU/CSU and SPD members are in the majority, is expected to vote on 6 May for CDU leader Friedrich Merz to become Germany’s Federal Chancellor. This only requires simple majority, known as the “chancellor’s majority”: 316 of the 630 representatives need to vote in favour. The coalition parties have 328 representatives.
After this, Merz and his ministers will be sworn in before the Bundestag. The CDU and CSU have already announced their government ministers. The SPD is planning to do so on Monday. It is considered a certainty that Boris Pistorius will remain Defence Minister.