Scholz's party approves deal for new German coalition govt

German Chancellor-designate Olaf Scholz's center-left party gave its overwhelming approval Saturday to forming a new government with environmentalist and pro-business parties — the first of three such decisions needed for Scholz to take office next week.

Scholz's Social Democrats narrowly won Germany's Sept. 26 election and launched negotiations with the Greens and the business-friendly Free Democrats to form a governing coalition that hasn't been tried before at the federal level. They emerged with a deal on Nov. 24 after relatively quick negotiations.

The three-way alliance aims to modernize Europe’s biggest economy and step up efforts against climate change. It will send outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic Union into the opposition after 16 years and end an uncomfortable “grand coalition” of Germany's traditional big parties in which the Social Democrats were the junior partners.

“A lot of people have grown up with the idea that is natural for a member of the CDU to lead the government, and now ... the Social Democrats will provide the next chancellor,” Scholz told a largely online party convention. “This will be a government of three parties that want to venture more progress for Germany.”

Scholz set his sights for the new alliance beyond just the four-year term that is now beginning. He said the government aims “to work together in a friendly way and be re-elected.”

The convention backed the coalition deal by 598 votes to seven, with three abstentions.

The plan is for parliament to elect Scholz as chancellor on Wednesday. He will lead what is known as a “traffic light” coalition after the parties' colors of red, green and yellow.

Before that can happen, members of the three parties need to approve the coalition deal. A vote by...