Green Light for Merkel

FINALLY! I thought that being in Syria for the September 18th election, that I’d miss all the fun, but three weeks later I’m back and things are just finally being decided:

Green Light Given for Merkel to Become Chancellor

Two major German media organizations are reporting that the way has been cleared for Angela Merkel of the conservative Christian Democrats to become the country’s next chancellor. A major announcement is expected on Monday.

German public broadcaster ZDF and the main national news agency, DPA, are reporting that the conservative Christian Democrats and the left-leaning Social Democrats have reached an agreement that will enable the CDU’s Angela Merkel to become the chancellor in a so-called “grand coalition” between the two parties. The news brings an end to an election drama that has left Berlin without a future government since national elections on Sept. 18.

According to the German version of the article, which naturally is much longer, there’ll be another meeting at 11am German time where it is expected that an agreement about negotiations for a grand coalition will be reached. Around 2:30pm, the CDU and SPD are planning to make the final public announcement.

It’s 9:47am German time and this just hit the wire so I’m sure by the time our US readers wake up, there’ll be a lot more out. More later.

UPDATE: More details on the power sharing deal. The SDP will get eight ministry positions: foreign, finance, labor, justice, health, transport, environment and development and the CDU will get defense, interior, economy, agriculture, families and education. While both parties have approved, it still has to be approved by the German parliament.