Angela Merkel for fourth term

Angela Merkel’s return after a period of political uncertainty has been welcomed across Europe. French president Emmanuel Macron described it as 'good news for Europe.'

This was after nearly six months of paralysis in Berlin in which reforms of the European Union championed by France have been put on hold.

Merkel will today be proposed for a fourth term as German chancellor after Social Democratic Party (SPD) members voted in favour of a new coalition with her conservatives.

The centre-left party’s rank-and-file voted by 66 per cent — more than expected — for the “grand coalition” in a postal ballot.  Mrs Merkel may not serve a full four-year term.  She will be expected to hand over at some point after the halfway stage, when there will be a review of the progress of the coalition.

President Macron also said,
“France and Germany will work together on new initiatives in the coming weeks to bring the European project forward.”