Boosted by Surge in Polls, Germany's Scholz Bets on Coalition with the Greens

BERLIN - Germany's center-left chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz wants to lead Europe's largest economy in a coalition government with the left-leaning Greens, though polls suggest he will need support of a third party to reach a stable majority in parliament.

Scholz and his Social Democrats (SPD) have opened up a five-point lead over Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives ahead of a Sept. 26 national election that promises multiple coalition options and unusually complicated negotiations. "I would like to govern together with the Greens," Scholz told Tagesspiegel newspaper on Sunday, adding that the policy proposals of both parties had a lot of overlaps. The SPD and the Greens both want to hike the national minimum wage to 12 euros per hour from 9.60 euros, increase taxes for the super rich and accelerate the shift towards renewable energy to meet climate goals. Both also favor closer European integration.