Collapse of Merkel’s three-way coalition talks ‘bad news for Europe’
Brussels — The collapse of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s talks to form a three-way coalition government is "bad news for Europe", given the leading role of the EU’s biggest member state, the Dutch foreign minister said on Monday. Germany’s political crisis was weighing on the euro and European shares after the pro-business Free Democratic Party unexpectedly pulled out on Sunday from weeks of talks with Merkel’s conservatives and the ecologist Greens. "It’s bad news for Europe that the government in Germany will take a little longer," new Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra said on arrival for talks with EU peers in Brussels. "Germany is a very influential country within the EU so if they don’t have a government and therefore don’t have a mandate it’ll be very hard for them to take positions," he said. Germany’s outgoing EU Minister Michael Roth, a member of the Social Democrats who are not in talks on forming a new Merkel government, said: "We all have an interest in getting a...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.