SPD members clearly approve coalition agreement

The SPD party base has approved the coalition agreement with the CDU/CSU: A clear 84.6 percent of members voted for the future CDU/CSU-SPD government . In the new CDU/CSU-SPD federal government, SPD leader Lars Klingbeil is to become Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister. The SPD executive committee voted unanimously in favor, according to several news agencies. Klingbeil is to succeed his party colleague Jörg Kukies as Finance Minister and Green Party politician Robert Habeck as Vice Chancellor.

Way clear for future Chancellor Friedrich Merz

Klingbeil is expected to lead the Social Democrats' governing team and present their personnel table for the future coalition by Monday. The SPD suffered significant losses in the federal election and will send seven ministers to the future government.

Around 56 percent of SPD members voted on the coalition agreement . Image: Kay Nietfeld/dpa/picture alliance

By accepting the coalition agreement withthe CDU and CSU, SPD members paved the way for the CDU-CSU coalition under future Chancellor Friedrich Merz . Merz's election and the swearing-in of the cabinet are scheduled for next Tuesday in the Bundestag.

Will Klingbeil and Esken run again as SPD leaders?

Klingbeil, 47, is part of the conservative Seeheimer Circle within his party. He took over the party leadership in December 2021, succeeding Norbert Walter-Borjans . Previously, he had been SPD General Secretary since 2017. He forms the party leadership together with co-leader Saskia Esken .

The leadership team is scheduled to be re-elected at a party conference at the end of June. Whether Klingbeil and Esken will run again after their election defeat remains unclear. Following the federal election, Klingbeil was also elected to lead the parliamentary group in the Bundestag. He is now expected to relinquish this position.

pg/sti (dpa, afp, rtr)