GERMANY: Germany's Social Democrats needed a turbulent debate to clear the air before joining a coalition with their longtime rivals, but a popular party figure said he was confident the new government was stable.
Wolfgang Tiefensee (50), who is to be transport minister, said the overwhelming endorsement of the coalition pact by SPD delegates at a party congress in Karlsruhe showed they were ready to accept compromises with the Christian Democrats.
"We had a heated debate on the coalition agreement here, but in the end it got fantastic party backing," said Mr Tiefensee, elected to the SPD executive on Tuesday and to be sworn in as transport minister next week.
"It'll be a sturdy government for the next four years," he said. He will also have responsibility for construction and rebuilding the former communist east.
Long one of Germany's more popular leaders because of his optimism and straight-talking style, Mr Tiefensee defended the agreement, which foresees higher value-added taxes and relaxed job protection rules, from criticism.
"A coalition is always a compromise," he said. "There are 'good compromises' and 'rotten deals'. In my view we got a good compromise," said Mr Tiefensee, mayor of Leipzig.
He said that even though there were fears of trouble in Karlsruhe after a left-wing rebellion prompted SPD chairman Franz Müntefering to quit abruptly two weeks ago, the 515 delegates showed sceptics the party was united, if critical.
Mr Müntefering's successor, Matthias Platzeck, Brandenburg state premier and like Mr Tiefensee from the formerly communist east, was voted into office on Tuesday with the strongest endorsement for an SPD leader in 58 years - winning 99.4 per cent of the delegates votes. "The mood in the party is just excellent," Mr Tiefensee said. - (Reuters)