The vote comes after months of political uncertainty, following Merkel’s failure to form a coalition with the FDP and Greens (the so-called ‘Jamaica Coalition’ because of the respective parties’ colours), after September’s federal election left Merkel’s CDU and their sister party – the CSU – a mere 34.7% of the seats in the Bundestag. The deal was reached despite divisions within the SPD.Some 66 percent of the SPD members approved entering a coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party Christian Social Union (CSU), the social democrats' official confirmed on Sunday after a postal ballot.Almost 464,000 members were eligible for voting, with a total of 378,437 having cast their ballot, NTV reports "We now have clarity," SPD chief Olaf Schols announced in the party's HQ in Berlin.
SPD party members approve with 66% in favour to allow to form a coalition with Angela Merkel's CDU/CSU, ending a five-month political deadlock after the federal elections.