BERLIN: Germany's Social Democrats, the country's second-largest party, plans to decide Thursday whether or not to help Chancellor Angela Merkel end months of political paralysis in Europe's biggest economy. Party leader Martin Schulz has asked his deeply divided SPD to give him the green light for exploratory talks on joining Merkel in another coalition government starting in early 2018. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier -- an SPD veteran who, as head of state, is supposed to operate above party politics -- has since been brokering talks between party chiefs. Schulz will seek to convince the party that the SPD, back in power, would be better positioned to improve the lives of ordinary Germans. Whatever the outcome of the eventual talks, it will have to satisfy the SPD party base, because members will ultimately vote to approve or scrap any coalition agreement.

Source: Economic Times December 06, 2017 03:56 UTC