Angela Merkel's SPD coalition partners will be bad news for David Cameron's hopes of reform
"Merkel might decide that fighting Britain's corner is not worth undermining relations with the SPD, who are very much opposed to making anything that could smack of a concession to Britain," said Simon Tilford of the CER. ..."She is almost certainly going to be more constrained in what she can do for Britain."
...Her resistance to a reopening of the EU treaties, demanded by Britain which wants to renegotiate terms ahead of a referendum on its membership in 2017, is likely to stiffen with the SPD in government, said Mr Tilford.
..."If Germany is confronted with a choice between accepting a degree of debt mutualisation or risk a partial dissolution of the euro zone, I think it's possible this coalition will be more likely to accept the former," said Mr Tilford.