Alternative for Germany (AfD) are set to take over the leadership of the budget, tourism and legal affairs committees in the German parliament.
This means the anti-immigration party will become the largest opposition party in the Bundestag when up against Mrs Merkel’s conservative CDU/CSU bloc and their coalition with the SPD.
AfD Parliamentary Secretary, Bernd Baumann, wrote on Facebook he was he delighted to “receive thee important committees as the strongest parliamentary opposition”.
It comes after Germany’s AFD party gained a foothold in the parliament in last year’s September’s vote.
While the SPD will be responsible for employment and social affairs, defence, education, culture and sports.
Talks are now expected to start this week, bringing relief to Germany’s partners in Europe, where Merkel has long played a leading role in economic and security affairs.
But SPD party members still get to vote on a final coalition deal, if there is one.