Coalition posturing

The center-right Christian Democrat Union (CDU) and pro-business Free Liberal Party (FDP) signed a coalition contract on Tuesday in Dresden, Saxony, after both parties convened over the weekend to finalize the agreement internally.

The coalition is the first of three new state governments that need to be formed, following elections on Aug. 30. All of the elections were considered important sounding boards for the upcoming general election.

The CDU and FDP had been hoping for the inauguration in Saxony to take place Thursday, providing positive media coverage for the CDU and FDP a few days before the election. But thenow been scheduled for next week.

The battle between Chancellor Angela Merkel's preferred CDU/FDP coalition and a left-wing alliance of the SPD, the Greens, and the socialist Left party is too close to call. A new Forsa institute poll published Wednesday shows the CDU/FDP combining for 48 percent, with the SPD, Greens, and the Left amassing 47 percent between them. The CDU and FDP are hoping that the Saxon agreement will tip wavering voters their way.

Thuringia and Saarland stuck in limbo

Results in the other two state elections in Thuringia and Saarland were much closer than in Saxony, with neither of the main centrist parties, CDU and Social Democrats (SPD), able to secure a majority with their preferred coalition partners. With all their manpower tied up in a national election campaign, all parties in those states are still sounding each other out about possible governments and have agreed to put off concrete negotiations until after the general election.

In Saarland, meanwhile, the state parliament will be convened on Oct. 11 to decide on who will form the next government. Only then can coalition negotiations begin. The new government is not expected to begin its work until November.

bk/dpa/AP
Editor: Trinity Hartman