BERLIN - Members of Germany’s junior governing party have chosen a left-leaning duo as its new leaders, a decision that could endanger the future of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s troubled coalition. Norbert Walter-Borjans and Saskia Esken beat the rival team of Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Klara Geywitz in a runoff ballot of the Social Democrats’ members, according to results announced Saturday. While Scholz and Geywitz strongly favoured staying in the coalition, Walter-Borjans and Esken have sounded much more skeptical and advocated changes to the coalition agreement. The Social Democrats have been without an elected leader since Andrea Nahles quit in frustration nearly six months ago. Polls currently show support for the Social Democrats at 13 or 14%.

Source: thestar November 30, 2019 12:40 UTC