Merkel’s party finally backs new coalition government deal

German Chancellor Angela Merkel finally convinced her party on Monday to back a deal to form a new coalition government with the centre-left Social Democrats, touting a series of policies to help families and bolster law and order.

Unrest among the Christian Democratic Union’s members has been growing in recent years. While the country has enjoyed strong economic growth under Merkel, her centrist policies have alienated more conservative supporters.

Though getting the most votes, Merkel’s party posted one of its worst ever results in last September’s election amid widespread anguish over the arrival of more than a million refugees, which saw the anti-migrant Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, post big gains.

“We were all disappointed,” Merkel said of September’s election result, which forced her into months of coalition haggling with other parties. Critics within her CDU have taken particular umbrage at the fact that key ministries – including interior and finance – will go to its Bavaria-only sister party and the Social Democrats.

Merkel acknowledged the unease among party supporters, but said it would have been wrong to let coalition talks collapse over the distribution of ministerial posts.