berlin germany social democrats spd vote thursday hold talk chancellor angela merkel conservatives form government leader make impassioned plea free hand work social unite state europe vote clear way talk could resolve impasse europe economic powerhouse plunge merkel spd shed support september election greatly complicate parliamentary arithmetic martin schulz urge reluctant center-left spd members open merkel overtures renew coalition govern past four years say party responsibility revive social democracy germany new grand coalition reluctant spd merkel best hope extend 12 years power talk two small party fail give small spd great leverage negotiations question grand coalition grand coalition say speech party biennial congress minority government fresh elections exercise responsibility include next generation schulz say party would recover could offer clear vision germany europe work citizens call deep european integration unite state europe 2025. europe always work people rather often big company say outline populist vision go well beyond merkel openness limit structural reform bureaucratic streamline talk two party expect begin earnest new year special congress convene party members vote whether support final agreement could fall short formal coalition could include tolerate minority government stephan weil influential premier state low saxony say spd would want see policies reflect return support government think majority delegate see european party expect germany become drive force europe say schulz proposals regard european union schulz proposals receive cautiously merkel eu ability act forefront say berlin press conference concentrate cooperation defense 2025 issue include employment innovation outside congress hall spd youth activists many want party chart distinctive course spend eight past 12 years centrist coalitions hand red card read grand coalition merkel lead country without direction say one speaker address conference plan europe lead country week week need strong social democracy country schulz initially say party go opposition punish participate previous grand coalition merkel apologize party disastrous electoral result schulz attack european move support big bank little counter high youth unemployment state balance budget face draconian sanction brussels mobilize billions bank rescue fight paltry sum support job young people definitely europe strike tone critical big company french president emmanuel macron push deep euro zone integration pro-business reform euro zone finance minister take aim u.s. technology firm apple facebook google say strong europe need make stick rule protect right workers change economy want app-directed service society want digitalization lead individual freedom say applause call step protect digital economy self-employed become self-exploiters issue immigration one main reason collapse merkel first attempt coalition spd oppose conservative plan extend ban right family reunions accept asylum seekers upper limit right protection war persecution schulz tell delegate reject conservative demand ceiling 200,000 immigrants year german spd back talk merkel impassioned europe speech