German SPD Backs Merkel Coalition Talks Edging to Deal
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Germany’s Social Democrats took the first step toward a coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel, voting to open talks on joining her next government five days after she won national elections.
A national meeting of 200 SPD delegates backed a party leadership proposal to start exploratory talks with Merkel’s Christian Democrats, party head Sigmar Gabriel said late yesterday after about four hours of negotiations in Berlin. Five delegates voted against talks and three abstained, he said.