Delegates of Germany's social democratic SPD party hold up their voting cards during an extraordinary SPD party congress in Bonn, western Germany, on January 21, 2018. AFP / SASCHA SCHUERMANN
Delegates of Germany's social democratic SPD party hold up their voting cards during an extraordinary SPD party congress in Bonn, western Germany, on January 21, 2018. AFP / SASCHA SCHUERMANN

Germany's SPD backs Merkel coalition talks in crunch vote



Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) voted on Sunday to begin formal coalition talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, moving Europe's economic powerhouse one step closer to a stable government after months of political uncertainty.

SPD delegates voted by 362 'for' to 279 'against' to move ahead with negotiations after the centre-left party's leaders agreed a preliminary coalition blueprint with Ms Merkel's conservative bloc earlier this month. There was one abstention.

Talks are now expected to start this week, bringing relief to Germany's partners in Europe, where Ms Merkel has long played a leading role in economic and security affairs.

Sunday’s convention was the biggest obstacle to Ms Merkel’s plan to govern with the SPD. While the party will give its members the final say over any coalition pact negotiated in the weeks ahead, the vote was the clearest sign yet that a four-month political stalemate is ending and Ms Merkel is moving toward re-inauguration, possibly by mid-March.

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Ahead of the vote, party leader Martin Schulz urged party members to vote for opening the coalition talks with Ms Merkel, saying a stable German government was needed to strengthen Europe and serve as a bulwark against right wing extremism.

The center-left party has governed with Ms Merkel's Union bloc since 2013, but Mr Schulz had vowed not to renew the so-called "grand coalition" after his Social Democrats took a beating in September's election.

He told party members gathered in Bonn that the decision was right at the time — but said the political situation has changed after Ms Merkel failed to form a coalition with two smaller parties.

"Europe is waiting for a Germany that knows its responsibility for Europe and can act decisively," he said.

He said the stakes were high, with French President Emmanuel Macron needing support in his ambitious plans to reform the European Union.

"If he fails in his policies, then it can't be ruled out the extreme right will form the next government in Paris," Mr Schulz said.

If the Social Democrats had rejected entering the talks, the only options left would have been for Ms Merkel to form a minority government or for new elections.

Social Democrat deputy leader Malu Dreyer, the Rhineland-Palatinate governor, told delegates that since Ms Merkel's Union bloc is against forming a minority government, voting against entering talks would mean new elections.

"We can't force the Union into a minority government, that's an illusion," she said.

But the head of the Social Democrats' youth wing, Kevin Kuehnert, urged delegates to vote against the grand coalition anyway, saying agreeing to it just because it's the least-bad option would just contribute further to the party's "crisis of trust" with supporters.

"This loop needs to be broken," said Mr Kuehnert, who has led a strong opposition to opening new coalition talks.

Many Social Democrats have voiced fears that should they become part of a new coalition, that would leave the anti-migrant nationalist Alternative for Germany party as the largest opposition party.

But Mr Schulz said the risks of a new election were even greater.

"Who can say that new elections won't further strengthen the right fringe?" he asked.

He noted that other Social Democrats in Europe hadn't profited from being in opposition, and suggested his party's best chance at regaining support from its grassroots was through vigorously pursuing its policies from within government and not behaving as a "junior partner" to Ms Merkel.

"Any government the SPD takes part in, regardless of what coalition, must be an SPD government," he said. "That has to be our stance."

It's Monty Python's Crashing Rocket Circus

To the theme tune of the famous zany British comedy TV show, SpaceX has shown exactly what can go wrong when you try to land a rocket.

The two minute video posted on YouTube is a compilation of crashes and explosion as the company, created by billionaire Elon Musk, refined the technique of reusable space flight.

SpaceX is able to land its rockets on land  once they have completed the first stage of their mission, and is able to resuse them multiple times - a first for space flight.

But as the video, How Not to Land an Orbital Rocket Booster, demonstrates, it was a case if you fail, try and try again.

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'Spies in Disguise'

Director: Nick Bruno and Troy Quane

Stars: Will Smith, Tom Holland, Karen Gillan and Roshida Jones 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Normcore explained

Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.

Dates for the diary

To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:

  • September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
  • October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
  • October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
  • November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
  • December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
  • February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants

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AIR
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