Berlin

The grand coalition is unpopular with the SPD base. Party leader Martin Schulz fights for every vote at the SPD congress that will take place in Bonn next Sunday. Shortly before the beginning of a meeting with party delegates, he praised the political results of the exploratory talks with the Union.
For Schulz, instead, dealing with his party is more complicated. Many of his party colleagues reject a new grand coalition. In Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Berlin, the delegates spoke against a new alliance with the CDU and CSU. Now Schulz has to convince the doubting delegates in North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate this week to give up their opposition to coalition negotiations by Sunday’s party congress.
The party leader fights for every vote, his political future largely depends on whether a grand coalition comes about. But the conditions are tough: the party’s younger generation mobilizes against it.
Despite the criticism on pensions, refugee policy and jobs Schulz defends the exploratory results with the Union.