SPD Berlin chapter votes against grand coalition, polls more optimistic

German lawmakers' attempts to forge a grand coalition were a dealt a blow overnight after the Berlin chapter of the country's Socialist party, the SPD, voted against entering another power-sharing with German Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right CDU/CSU.

Ahead of a key Sunday vote by all SPD delegates, delegates from the Berlin chapter voted 21-8 against starting formal coalition talks.

According to analysts at Rabobank: "Resistance already being seen from within the party ranks could result in a vote that sees the SPD reject the blueprint agreed by the CDU-CSU and SPD last Friday and would thus potentially trigger fresh national elections."

However, Berlin accounted for a minority of the total of 600 delegates who would be asked to vote on the blueprint for talks agreed upon by SPD leaders and Merkel the previous Friday.

Indeed, a Forsa poll carried out on 12 January showed 56% of SPD and 70% of CDU/CSU voters favoured another coalition.

The SPD and CDU last governed together between 2013 and 2017 but now many in the SPD ranks were against reediting such an arrangement after the party's dismal showing at the September elections, which showed support for them fall to a record low.