The CDU and CSU have paved the way for the black-red coalition government.

Following the CDU and CSU's approval of the coalition agreement between the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD), all eyes are on the SPD: The party's approximately 358,000 members have until 11:59 p.m. tonight to vote on the 144-page agreement entitled "Responsibility for Germany." The result is expected to be announced on Wednesday. If all goes well, CDU leader Friedrich Merz will be elected chancellor on May 6.

In addition to a majority of votes, the SPD membership survey requires the participation of 20 percent of party members. This quorum has already been reached, it was announced on Monday. However, this is "no reason to sit back and relax for the next few hours if we haven't voted yet," said General Secretary Matthias Miersch. The party's youth wing is dissatisfied with the coalition agreement, but majority approval of the agreement and thus the planned black-red coalition is considered likely.

The CSU approved the coalition agreement by executive board resolution shortly after the agreement was reached in mid-April. On Monday, the CDU also approved it at a small party conference. The CDU and CSU also presented their cabinet lists. The new cabinet will once again be dominated by men. The CDU will send four men and three women, while the CSU will send two men and one woman. Female politicians from eastern Germany are even more significantly underrepresented.

CDU federal vice-chairman Karl-Josef Laumann rejected the harsh criticism from the party's labor wing of Merz's cabinet list. "I'm satisfied with it because he's put together a good cabinet," the North Rhine-Westphalia labor minister told the "Rheinische Post." Laumann led the Christian Democratic Employees' Association (CDA) for 19 years until last year. His successor, Dennis Radtke, had strongly criticized the CDU's selection of ministers.

Radtke told the Süddeutsche Zeitung that he "finds it strange and wrong that no representative of our party's Christian-social roots is part of the cabinet." Laumann said it was true that the party's employee wing had not been considered. "But I don't believe that those currently in the cabinet are the servants of the middle class." Moreover, the coalition agreement is more important. It is also important that the future government has a "good internal climate."

Thorsten Frei (CDU), designated Minister of the Chancellery, told the "Rheinische Post" newspaper that the CDU/CSU's eastern state associations are particularly well represented, with an economics minister from Brandenburg, as well as several state secretaries and a state minister. Frei said on ZDF's "heute journal" that the planned cabinet is a "good reflection of the people's party." "And above all, they come from very diverse professional backgrounds," said Frei, who is from Baden-Württemberg and currently serves as the CDU/CSU's First Parliamentary Secretary in the Bundestag.

The SPD plans to announce its seven ministers next Monday – one day before the planned appointment of CDU leader Merz as chancellor. Secretary General Miersch said there are many aspects that must be taken into account. These include issues of parity, the division of departments and professional qualifications, and a balanced regional distribution of future ministers. Among other things, the SPD is allowed to appoint the top positions in the Finance Ministry.

The future role of party leader Saskia Esken is hotly debated within the party. The state executive committee of the Baden-Württemberg SPD withdrew her nomination for the federal executive committee on Monday evening. According to the state SPD, Esken had not submitted a candidacy. State leader Andreas Stoch said: "In consultation with Saskia Esken, this is not a pre-decision on whether or not she will run for party leader again."

Even without being nominated by her home party, Esken could still be nominated for federal chairwoman by the federal executive board or spontaneously run for office at a party conference. The party leadership will be re-elected in June. Sascha Binder, the SPD general secretary in Baden-Württemberg, recently stated that Esken was not among the four best SPD women.