Germany's Social Democratic Party to launch coalition talks with MerkelSeptember 28, 2013 - 14:19 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) has said it will begin talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) on forming a coalition, BBC News said. Mrs Merkel's party won last Sunday's poll but it needs to form an alliance with either the SPD or the Greens to ensure a majority in parliament. SPD chairman Sigmar Gabriel said party members backed the move at a meeting. The CDU took about 41.5% of the vote. The SPD won 26%, the Greens 8.4%, and the former communist Left Party 8.6%. Meanwhile, the German news agency DPA says SPD leader Peer Steinbrueck wants to withdraw from frontline politics. Steinbrueck, 66, led the Social Democrats' election campaign but he will no longer hold a leadership role in the German opposition party, a party source told DPA. "My political life will come to an orderly end," he is reported to have said at a closed-door meeting of around 200 SPD members in Berlin. Steinbrueck used to be state premier in North Rhine-Westphalia. A poll carried out for German ARD television earlier this week suggested that most voters wanted Merkel's Christian Democratic Union bloc to enter into a grand coalition with the Social Democrats. has not yet indicated which parties she might reach out to in order to build a coalition building. CDU parliamentary group leader Volker Kauder said that the party "has a clear mandate from voters to form a government". The outcome showed that "voters want Angela Merkel to remain chancellor" for a third term, he said. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. Aram I supports Karekin II’s “patriotic position” Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I has expressed support for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. |