European Allies Urge Germany’s SPD to Form a Government

The head of Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD), Martin Schulz, revealed in an interview on Sunday that he had received numerous phone calls and text messages from France’s Emmanuel Macron, urging him to form a ruling coalition with German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc.

Speaking to Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Schulz also indicated that he would cherish the opportunity to work together with Macron and other European allies, saying that neither France nor Germany would be able to protect social democratic values on its own, DW reported.

Schulz also revealed that Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had also urged him not to let “this deciding phase in Europe go to pass.”

Tsipras reportedly told Germany’s Social Democratic Party leader that he respected the SPD’s initial decision not to enter into a ruling coalition government. However, the Greek leader stressed that being part of the Berlin government was “a precondition to fight together for the necessary progressive reforms and democratization of Europe, for social rights and a substantial battle against youth unemployment.