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Germany’s conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), one of the three partners in the incoming national government, is set to vote on the coalition agreement on Thursday, one day after it was presented in Berlin.
The steering committee of the Bavaria-only CSU, which is allied with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) at the national level, is expected to approve the centre-right bloc’s deal with the Social Democratic Party (SPD) over the formation of a new administration.
Party leader Markus Söder, the premier of Bavaria, is due to announce the result on Thursday afternoon.
The prospective partners reached an agreement on Wednesday after weeks of arduous negotiations following February’s parliamentary elections, with CDU leader Friedrich Merz set to replace the outgoing Olaf Scholz as chancellor.
The 144-page programme for government includes cuts to social spending, bureaucracy and development funding, but also plans for a €15 ($16.50) per hour minimum wage and for a National Security Council to streamline decision-making on defence.
The deal must be approved by all three parties before the new government can take office.
The SPD is set to hold an online ballot of its 358,000 members beginning on Tuesday. The process is expected to last two weeks, ending on April 29.
SPD General Secretary Matthias Miersch called on members to “take responsibility” and approve the agreement.
“We have achieved a great deal: massive investment in the future and social cohesion, in secure jobs, affordable housing and a state capable of acting,” he argued.
Despite calls from within the CDU for a similar procedure, Merz’s party is to vote on the agreement at a small party conference on April 28.
If the parties approve the agreement, as expected, Merz’s administration is likely to be formed in early May.