2nd party approves deal for Scholz's new German government

Germany’s pro-business Free Democrats have approved a deal to form a new government with two center-left parties

BERLIN -- Germany's pro-business Free Democrats on Sunday approved a deal to form a new government with two center-left parties, moving Chancellor-designate Olaf Scholz a step closer to taking office as the country's new leader this week.

The Free Democrats reached an agreement last month to form a coalition with Scholz's Social Democrats and the environmentalist Greens, effectively crossing the aisle to ally with the two parties.

“This is a coalition agreement for policies of the center, which won't shift our country to the left but wants to move it forward," party leader Christian Lindner told a largely online party convention.

Delegates voted 535 to 37 to approve the agreement, with eight abstentions. After the Social Democrats backed it overwhelmingly on Saturday, only one more hurdle remains before parliament can elect Scholz on Wednesday. That is the result of a ballot of the Greens’ 125,000-strong membership, which is expected on Monday — the biggest challenge for the deal but one it is expected to pass.