Alliance Politics in Germany

Alliance Politics in Germany

What is the issue?

• In a welcome development, Ms. Merkel’s CDU has reached a tentative agreement with its long-term ally ‘SDP’ to renew their alliance.
• But the strain between their respective constituencies could pull them apart. 

What caused the stalemate?

• The conservation “Christian Democratic Union” (CDU) of Ms. Angela Merkel has been at the helm in Germany for more than a decade.
• They’ve had a longstanding coalition with the leftist “Social Democratic Party” (SPD), and have cohabited power. 
• Election - Both parties registered their worst performance in recent times in the September 2017 elections, which developed strain in the alliance.
• After the election results, the SDP had initially proposed that it wants to sit in the opposition and build its organisation and ideology.
• As CDU lacked the numbers, Ms.Mekel made a subsequent outreach to the greens and the liberals, which too failed due to ideological differences.
• Hence, Germany came close to calling for fresh elections, which was desired.  

What were the options?

• Euro-sceptic ultra-right “Alternatives for Germany” (AfD) party, had bagged 13% votes in the current elections and is on an upswing.
• Hence, if fresh elections were called, it might possibly strengthen AfD which isn’t desired by any of the mainstream political forces.

• The only way out was for Ms. Merkel to lead a minority government with an external support from the SDP, which wasn’t appealing to either.
• Hence, to break the impasse, despite the initial rhetoric, the CDU and SDP seem to have agreed for renewing the coalition for national interest.
• Notably, the wider crisis European Union too would’ve pressured the alliance ahead as currently, EU’s future largely hinges on Germany’s polity.

What are the strains in the alliance?

• While the alliance renewal has indeed brought cheer, there is considerable disillusionment in both party camps on the concessions made for the other.  
• SPD has bagged six ministries, including finance, which has annoyed fiscal hawks within the CDU.
• Notably, these people are against bankrolling financially weaker EU countries although Germany enjoys a huge budget surplus.
• Also, the joint programme must first be approved by the SPD party delegates, who themselves are internally divided on some issues.
• Parties have struck a pragmatic compromise for the time-being to safeguard the political middle-ground and preventing extremism from spreading.
• But voices of dissent could veer things to the extremes, which is a risk.

Source: The Hindu