Germany ’s center-left Social Democrats have approved a deal to join a new coalition government, paving the way for parliament to elect conservative leader Friedrich Merz as the country’s new chancellor.

Germany's chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz is poised to lead a coalition government from next week after his junior partners, the Social Democrats

Germany's Social Democrats will announce on Wednesday whether members have backed a treaty for a coalition with the CDU/CSU conservatives, potentially clearing the last hurdle for the formation of a new government in Europe's largest economy.