If the SPD rank-and-file give the thumbs up in the results to be announced on March 4th, veteran leader Merkel will likely launch her fourth-term government by late March. Polls now suggest two-thirds of SPD voters support another right-left alliance, but the mood of active party members is hard to gauge. "If we're scared of new elections, we may as well close up shop," argues youth wing leader Kevin Kuehnert, 28. However, he later reversed that decision when Merkel's initial attempts to form a separate alliance with two smaller parties failed. If the SPD referendum fails, both major parties fear the likely result will be fresh elections and a further boost for the AfD.

Source: The Local February 17, 2018 04:18 UTC