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At his press conference this morning, Matthias Miersch, Secretary General of the SPD, essentially confirmed the results that had already been reported by the press a few hours earlier. According to these results, 84.6 percent of SPD members who took part in the vote voted in favour of the coalition agreement. A total of over 358,000 members were eligible to vote. Over 200,000 took part, which corresponds to a turnout of over 56%. This means that the vote is binding.

Mirsch confirmed that the SPD's government team will be presented on 5 May. However, one personnel decision has already been made: the party leadership has tasked Lars Klingbeil with taking over as vice-chancellor and joining the government as federal finance minister. Klingbeil has also been tasked with forming the SPD's government team by 5 May. He is to take experience into account and also present new faces. He will work closely with the party executive and the SPD minister presidents in the federal states in making his selection.

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Original text from 10:04 a.m.

Whether Spiegel Online, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Süddeutsche Zeitung, or Bild – almost all major media outlets in Germany are reporting that the SPD grassroots have given the party leadership a mandate to form a coalition with the CDU and CSU through a membership vote. Reports mention an approval rating of 84.6 percent. This is significantly higher than in 2013, when just under 76 percent of SPD members voted in favour of the grand coalition.

With the SPD’s approval, the path is now clear for the next government and the designated Chancellor Friedrich Merz — even though his election in the Bundestag still needs to take place. Some personnel decisions within the SPD also remain open. While the CDU and CSU have already named their ministers, the SPD has not yet made any concrete announcements regarding personnel. That could soon change: at 10:30 a.m., Matthias Miersch, Secretary General of the SPD, is scheduled to appear before the press, ostensibly to announce the official and apparently leaked results of the SPD membership vote. He may even announce the names of the future SPD ministers, although this is not planned until 5 May. 

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SPD Members Vote in Favour of Coalition Agreement