Almost three weeks after the federal election of Germany’s 20th Bundestag or lower house of Parliament, the Federal Electoral Committee officially confirmed the final result.
The Social Democratic Party (SPD) became the strongest party with 25.7 per cent of the vote, followed by the conservative block of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) with 24.1 per cent, the Green party with 14.8 per cent and the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) with 11.5 per cent, reports Xinhua news agency.
A large majority of Germans, 75 per cent, are in favour of Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) becoming Chancellor, according to the latest Politbarometer survey published by public broadcaster ZDF on Friday.
Even among CDU/CSU voters, 55 per cent favoured Scholz.
The SPD, the Greens and the FDP are currently negotiating to form a three-party coalition. The accord came remarkably quickly by German standards, with joint talks starting just a week ago. The parties will begin formal negotiations to hammer out the details as early as next week.
Scholz said the parties managed to bridge differences to unleash Germany’s biggest industrial renewal in a century, including accelerating its exit from coal and modernizing manufacturing. To achieve the breakthrough, the SPD and the Greens accepted the FDP’s demands to leave constitutional debt limits intact and not impose new taxes. The Greens also abandoned a push to limit speeds on the Autobahn.
While this so-called “traffic light” coalition (named for the colours of the parties involved) was unpopular before the election, it is now supported by 62 per cent of Germans, according to the survey.
Scholz said earlier this week that the negotiations were taking place in a “very good and constructive atmosphere. All three parties intend to “have a new government before Christmas”, he said.
“This is a very good result,” Scholz said at a press conference in Berlin, flanked by his counterparts from the other parties. “It makes clear that Germany can form a government that can achieve progress, progress that’s possible and necessary in many, many areas.”
(With inputs from IANS)