Germany’s SPD signals it will not be part of coalition with CDU without Merkel

The leader of Gerany’s Social Democrats (SPD) Lars Klingbeil has tied the existence of their grand coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s governing Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
“We went into this coalition with her. And with her, we will also leave this coalition again – for the next election date, as planned. I don’t know of any other election date”, Klingbeil told the media.
The CDU’s current leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, viewed as Angela Merkel’s successor, has announced that she is stepping down, amid the political crisis in the eastern state of Thuringia.
Last week, lawmakers from the CDU and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AFD) faced criticism about cooperating, when they voted to install a liberal as leader of Thuringia.
The SPD warned that whoever assumes the post after her can hardly hope to take over the position of chancellor before 2021, when Angela Merkel leaves.
The head of the SPD parliamentary group, Carsten Schneider, also said that the Social Democrats would not choose another CDU chancellor: “She is one and will be one, and if the CDU decides to give the country instability, there will be elections”.
“Whether the CDU is reliable can be seen in its stance to the right. The CDU has to distinguish itself from its internal AfD fan club, the Union of Values”, Klingbeil warned.