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Norbert Walter-Borjans and Saskia Esken, here at the SPD convention on December 6, 2019, are the new leaders of the SPD. REUTERS / Fabrizio Bensch

Social Democrats of the SPD were in Congress in Berlin this Friday, December 6th. The party elected a new left-wing leadership and skeptical about maintaining the SPD in the joint government with the right, but a motion in favor of an immediate end to the grand coalition with Merkel's CDU was rejected.

With our correspondent in Berlin, Pascal Thibaut

Last weekend, the surprise, or the shock for some, was at the rendezvous when the victory of the duo Saskia Esken and Norbert Walter-Borjans , elected by the members of the SPD, was announced.

The two leaders from the left wing of the SPD drew a skeptical assessment of the presence of their party in government in a grand coalition with the Christian Democrats Angela Merkel. The end of this alliance was threatening but today a motion demanding it immediately was rejected.

The text of the new leadership calls for discussions with the Conservatives to compromise on a more ambitious and more social climate policy. The majority of the motion calls for massive public investment in infrastructure and a significant increase in the minimum wage.

Discussions are possible

The Christian Democrats have rejected in recent days a flattening of the coalition contract signed early 2018. But discussions are possible. Angela Merkel is determined to remain in office until the end of the legislature and is ready to compromise. But will the very reluctant Conservative parties play the game?

A minority government of Christian Democrats remains hypothetical. And the catastrophic polls for the ruling parties do not really push them to come before voters in a few weeks.