berlin leader germany social democrats come grow pressure thursday drop opposition new grand coalition angela merkel conservatives senior politicians argue party duty promote stability merkel face big political crisis career since efforts forge three-way coalition pro-business free democrats fdp green collapse last weekend raise worry across europe prolong leadership vacuum continent economic powerhouse social democrats spd govern coalition merkel since 2013. leader martin schulz say party must heed voters go opposition achieve bad result postwar period sept. 24 election pressure grow party revisit decision either agree prop conservative-led minority government vote form renew coalition either case position schulz party leader could become untenable change course team conservatives require change leadership spd would unlikely party conference dec. 7-9. schulz hold lengthy meet president frank-walter steinmeier former spd lawmaker foreign minister thursday afternoon head party headquarter consult senior party members steinmeier try help facilitate coalition government avoid fresh elections talk one get federal government germany senior spd member say ahead meet add one option table support merkel indirectly block minority government stephan weil spd premier state low saxony one party influential figure defy poll win re-election year imply full coalition would preferable minority government minority governments fragile construct tell rnd newspaper consortium spd chart path party rank-and-file reluctant repeat bruise experience grand coalition democratic obligations everyone understand stake high involve stability extremely important member european union add volker kauder leader conservative parliamentary group key ally merkel ally echo sentiment call grand coalition reprise europe wait germany capable act finally respond question raise french president emmanuel macron say refer macron call fiscal reform strengthen euro zone germany world fourth large economy long bastion stability eu officials brussels paris fear months political uncertainty could harm plan reform euro zone governance eu defense asylum policies merkel remain act chancellor new government agree say would prefer work spd option fail would favor new elections unstable minority government another election would also provide speedy resolution germany constitution president could call another election merkel lose several vote bundestag process could take several months mass-circulation bild newspaper report wednesday 30 members spd 153-strong parliamentary group week question schulz preference go opposition meet parliamentary party speak zdf television thursday spd deputy leader karl lauterbach say party might rethink opposition another grand coalition add still skeptical join one lead merkel spd support macron proposal give euro zone power spend money protect members single currency bloc external shock spd change tack grand coalition however leader merkel sister party state bavaria christian social union csu say thursday expect conservatives grant significant concessions blackmail say horst seehofer fight hang csu leader face internal opposition german social democrats pressure form grand coalition