Two out of the three parties that will form Germany's next government have now approved the agreement. After the FDP and Social Democrats, the result of the Green Party's vote will be known Monday.
Christian Lindner, the head of the Free Democrats (FDP), is set to become Germany's next finance ministerImage: picture alliance/dpa
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The neoliberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) on Sunday backed the coalition agreement negotiated with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) and the Green Party.
At a special party conference in Berlin, some 92.4% of party members voted in favor of the deal. The decision brings acting Vice-Chancellor and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz one step closer to taking the reins from Angela Merkel as Germany's next chancellor next week.
FDP vows 'centrist' line
Party leader Christian Lindner, who is set to take over as Germany's next finance minister, sought to allay the concerns of the FDP's more conservative wing, describing the coalition agreement as one that pushes centrist policies.
The deal "does not push our country to the left, rather it wants to lead the country forward," he said.
'Germany is waiting for this new departure'
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Before the vote, Lindner added, "I am convinced that this country will profit from this coalition."
The vote was held with only key party officials physically present and the other participants joining online, due to COVID restrictions.
Key ministries secured
The center-left SPD, Greens, and FDP have been in talks for two months after the SPD emerged as the largest party following Germany's election on September 26.
The approval of FDP members was widely expected as the party, which will be the smallest in the coalition, negotiated well and secured several key ministries.
The party managed to secure promises that included: no tax hikes, no introduction of speed limits on the German autobahn, and no end to private health insurance, which is enjoyed by 11% of the German population.
The Greens are also holding a ballot of party members this weekend, with the result expected Monday.
If all parties approve the plans, the agreement will be signed by all parties a day later, allowing Scholz to formally seek election as chancellor in the Bundestag on Wednesday.
Germany will then have a so-called traffic-light coalition, a reference to the three parties' colors.
The new alliance will replace the grand coalition of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the SPD — the two largest party blocs in parliament, who have dominated German politics since the end of World War II.
Angela Merkel is stepping down after 16 years as chancellor.
mm/rs (AFP, dpa, Reuters)
Angela Merkel: 16 years as German chancellor
Angela Merkel has been German chancellor since 2005. Here are some major moments in her long tenure that led the country through a period of tremendous change.
'Kohl's girl' no longer
Former Chancellor Helmut Kohl and other political insiders once called her his "girl." Merkel stepped out of his shadow in 2001, when she led the center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) in the opposition. But her real moment came in 2005.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Altwein
Narrow victory
In the 2005 general election, the CDU, along with its Bavarian sister party, the CSU, eked out a win over the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), led by then-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. It was actually the CDU's worst election performance in its history and an inauspicious start for Merkel, but she hit the ground running.
Image: Stefan Sauer/dpa/picture alliance
A new chancellor
The CDU and SPD formed a "grand coalition" government and Merkel became the first woman, first former East German and the first scientist to become chancellor — as well as the youngest person ever to hold the position.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/F. Reiss
Host with the most
Merkel quickly showed prowess. At the G8 summit in 2007, she welcomed the leaders of the eight largest economies to Heiligendamm, on the Baltic Sea. She joked around with then-US President George W. Bush (left) and Russia's Vladimir Putin (right).
Image: Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP/Getty Images
Boys being boys
On the European political stage in the fall of 2008, Merkel had to share the spotlight with the big male egos of French President Nicolas Sarkozy (front) and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The growing financial crisis quickly became the European Union's most pressing concern.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/G. Cerles
Help or hinder?
The public debt of some European Union member states kept growing, threatening the very existence of the euro as a currency. Merkel's offer to help came with austerity demands. That did not go down well, especially in Greece, where newspapers ran images comparing the moment to Nazi Germany's occupation in World War II.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/O. Panagiotou
Reluctant campaigner
Merkel is not the best orator. Her speeches are often halting and she rarely goes into depth on policy. Yet her quiet pragmatism and sober modesty have won wide appeal. That has helped her run four governments.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Gentsch
'Mutti'
At some point in her long tenure, Merkel went from chancellor of the country to mother of the nation. She was sometimes referred to by supporters and opponents alike as "Mutti," a rather old-fashioned word for "mom." It can be meant a little sarcastically, but it's often also said with affection, as in this Merkel supporter's poster, a play on words that translates as "fully Mutti-vated."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/U. Anspach
'We can do this'
Few of Merkel's statements have had such a lasting impact as the one above. The chancellor won widespread praise in 2015 for staying committed to the EU's open-border policy and allowing more than 1 million migrants and refugees, many escaping the Syrian war, to enter Germany and the bloc. A vocal minority, however, pushed back against open migration.
Image: Getty Images/S. Gallup
Time's 'Person of the Year'
Time magazine named Merkel its "Person of the Year" in 2015, and even "chancellor of the free world." She has shown her mettle in the face of multiple crises, whether financial, social or political.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Time Magazine
Model of discretion
Merkel is discreet. She remains silent on her personal thoughts about less agreeable leaders, and deals with them as a matter of state interest.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Loeb
Down-to-earth
Merkel knows what a liter of milk costs, and years leading the country seem not to have gone to her head. Here in 2014, she visited a Berlin supermarket with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. It's not unusual to spot the chancellor doing the grocery shopping on her own in downtown Berlin.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/L.Schulze
Diamond of trust
Merkel is known for holding her hands together in a diamond shape. She has said it helps her stand up straight. And it has helped the CDU: The party used the diamond symbol on campaign posters for the 2013 general election. It became synonymous with trust and calm.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Simon
A private life
Merkel is a very private person. The public knows little more than the fact that her husband, Joachim Sauer, is also a scientist. The two have spent many Easters on the Italian island of Ischia. Due to the global travel slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 was the obvious exception.
Image: picture-alliance/ANSA/R. Olimpio
And then came COVID
The coronavirus pandemic has changed much more in Germany than Merkel's travel habits. The country — and other nations — turned to her for answers in the crisis. Her serious, fact-based style has boosted her popularity.
Image: Johanna Geron/Reuters
Auf Wiedersehen, Frau Dr. Merkel
Two years ago, Merkel made clear that she would not seek reelection in 2021. When she goes, she'll have served for 16 years — matching the record of her mentor Helmut Kohl, Germany's longest-serving chancellor.