Centre-left party approves German coalition deal

Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor of the Social Democratic Party, left, and Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union, ahead of a debate in Berlin in February (Fabrizio Bensch/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Germany’s centre-left Social Democrats have approved a deal to join a new coalition government, paving the way for parliament to elect conservative leader Friedrich Merz as the country’s new chancellor.

The party of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz will join a coalition led by Mr Merz’s centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), which won Germany’s election in February with 28.5%.