Germany’s Social Democrats set to approve government deal

The center-left party of German Chancellor-designate Olaf Scholz is meeting to decide whether to approve a deal to form a new government with environmentalist and pro-business parties. A membership vote at a Social Democratic Party convention on Saturday is the first of three such decisions needed for Scholz to take office next week. Scholz’s Social Democrats narrowly won Germany’s Sept. 26 election and launched coalition negotiations with the Greens and the business-friendly Free Democrats. The three-way alliance will send outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right Union bloc into opposition after 16 years. The Free Democrats are voting on the coalition on Sunday and the result of a vote by Greens members is expected Monday.