In Germany, political parties have begun coalition talks, bypassing the far-right AfD

In the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the Social Democrats (SPD), The Left, and the Greens began negotiations on October 12 to form a coalition government. Despite the victory of the far-right party “Alternative for Germany” in the regional elections on September 20, where it won 32 of 71 seats in the parliament, a potential three-party coalition majority of 39 seats would allow the AfD to be excluded from power.

The potential alliance, led by Manuela Schwesig (SPD), faces a tight deadline to reach an agreement, as the first session of the new state parliament is scheduled for October 20, and the election of the state’s prime minister, according to the constitution, must take place by November 17.

Source: dpa News Agency

In three state elections in Germany in September, the far-right “Alternative for Germany” (AfD) came in first in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, while the Left Party (Die Linke) won in Berlin.

In Germany, the victory of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Minister-President Manuela Schwesig in the state election has intensified internal pressure on the leadership of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). Schwesig has distanced herself from the federal government’s policies—where the SPD is part of a coalition with Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s CDU/CSU bloc—specifically criticizing some of the pension reform plans.