this is due to the news of lines from barely a sign of relief as germany and nearly a half year of political deadlock the social democrats voted to join a coalition government more than five months after the country's elections this behaves the way for a new government led by chance that i'm going to machel to find out what it all means for germany and europe also coming up. it's a new vote in an election whose outcome is anything but certain polls show a surge in support for silvio berlusconi center right broke as well as the

anti-establishment five star movement migration to be commie are among the key campaign issues. i'm welcome to the program at long last the wait for a new german government is over and that's because the social democrats have voted yes to joining a coalition yet again with chancellor angela merkel's conservatives the vote is a huge relief for makyo who will soon be sworn in for a fourth term as chancellor but for the center left social democrats getting to this point has brought talking tunnel divisions that may prove difficult to heal. a nightmare for s.p.d. party leaders didn't come to pass as the results were announced there was no applause and no cheering instead a reserved reaction from

a cautious party leader who fought very hard for this yes is a seldom a cop's apartheid sixty's and his social democratic party did not take this decision lightly in the past few weeks they discussed the results of the coalition agreement openly and transparently these were important and exciting debates in which many members of the s.p.d. actively participated or at least. the results of the members vote is not exactly cause for showing off s.p.d. leaders know that many in the party have struggled with this decision fearing that the s.p.d. will be completely sidelined in another grand coalition as p.d.u. swing boss kevin cunard back in the spotlight he became the figurehead of the resistance against a grand coalition and despite his disappointment says it's one of the democratic vote and of course we accept this result we are not sore losers and will try to make the best of it. out of the germans feel many are just happy to see

a government take shape. if they can push through everything they're planning gladly otherwise we will lections what could without a dentist now have on its part if it was due to the s.p.d. in the long run i don't know it's been months now. good for the s.p.d. or not no one knows for now but in any case it will benefit the coalition partner the christian democrats. this is no s.p. the result is a good basis in addition ninety seven percent support from the c.d.u. similar support from the c.s.u. a good coalition agreement and a good team that's good governance. the german president also satisfied germany will soon have a new government. it is simply good for our country that this phase of us. certainty and insecurity is over and that the three parties are prepared to take on the responsibility of governing. nieman only the opposition has found

a fly in the ointment amid a feeling of general relief. is the fact is that now the losers find themselves she gathered the statement is clearly carry on as usual. now until america is due to be sworn in again as chancellor on march fourteenth and scrutiny returns to a new edition of the grand coalition. for more let's now go to school correspondent nina nina it's good to see you so i get america is getting a fourth term at the head of another grand coalition does it go back to business as usual or can we expect changes in this government. well this is most certainly uncle america's last term in office this is for sure so one thing's already clear that the next period is going to be extremely interesting in terms of watching who is going to succeed uncle america as the leading person within the c.d.u.

already some people are getting quite vocal so this will be one interesting thing to watch for whether they dare criticize her and whether they follow party discipline in certain other areas the other big thing is of course that anglo-american and the social democrats have a much narrower majority within the parliament so of course the debate in the parliament right here behind me is going to get a lot livelier because of course the parties in the grand coalition the social democrats and the conservatives also have to square the circle of redefining their own identity so that's going to be interesting well another change of course is that the far right anti immigrant and fifty party now becomes the official opposition in german parliament how is that likely to impact politics here. it has already impacted on the political debate the tone in the parliament behind me and some of the questions they have asked have also raised into more traditional

party members rising up and getting more vocal about certain issues and this is more democracy in action some german voters are saying so this is a good sign at the same time of course and we'll also find out how many german voters actually do support the d. in the course of the next few months how many people actually voted for the eighty out of the protest vote because grand coalition is going to have to deliver on some of the core issues that people find these big parties haven't answered and so many people in september elections are believed to have given their vote to the a.f.p. nina has a political correspondent thank you. what does this decision mean for the european union let's go now to brussels and speak to political correspondent of vans or so bob relief across the e.u. i imagine french president emanuel mccraw of course needs berlin to back his

european reforms well sort of reactions have you been getting from there. but tickly of manual micro it is he said immediately after the speak came clear this is good news for europe the belgian prime minister shuts michel he said now get on germany do your job and sort of push europe a bit forward and of course the e.u. commissioners and everybody else here congratulated berlin on the result of this this questioning the base is the basis of the social democrats so general sigh of relief because what europe really wants needs is german stability angela merkel has been the beacon of stability for so many years now and this would have been a really bad point for european politics for her to sort of leave the scene as she knows how to make compromises in europe she knows how to handle people she is a fantastic negotiator behind the scenes and everybody really relies on her to

bring forth compromises in the future about e.u. reforms about break seek new negotiations and of course about the deep divide that is opening up between western and eastern european states and briefly once and america is sworn in and a government is installed here in germany what is a priority for brussels there is a whole range of topics of course there is this divide to that between east and west that will have to be negotiated the talks will start heating up the later in the year so a firm hand on the tiller is needed for that and then first steps need to be taken towards some e.u. reforms poland is not going to give that much to. but it will give it a bit and so that will start in the spring also so there is a lot on the agenda and america really stands for pushing things forward cautiously and slowly is her mode of working. vessel joining us from brussels thank you.

let's now look at some of the other stories making news around the world syrian troops and allied militias have captured a number of villages and towns near a rebel held eastern ghouta it's the largest advance since an offensive began last month to crush the rebel stronghold near the capital damascus observers say thousands of people have fled as government forces push ahead. voters have overwhelmingly rejected a plan to abolish their t.v. license fee the final count shows more than seventy one percent voting no in sunday's referendum now the man a trophy for radio and television programming costs around four hundred euros per household every year and provides funding for public broadcasters. will see the. thousands of people opposed to the split from spain gathered in bus alone or in a more cranny calling for the fictional to banja region to separate from catalonia

this comes as former catalan leader colors push for more withdrew his bid for a second term in on thursday. at least four people have been killed and dozens more injured after an apartment building collapsed in the west and polish city of. rescuers have been combing through the debris of the four storey block authorities are still investigating what caused the collapse but say it could have been a gas explosion. meanwhile another european country is facing uncertainty this hour italians are casting their ballots in a general election that's turning out to be a tightly contested race a center right coalition anchored by former prime minister silvio berlusconi's fourth party could gain a majority the economy and migration have dominated what's been an unpredictable campaign and there were more surprises on election day. former italian prime

minister and leader of the right wing coalition silvio berlusconi prepares to cost his vote in milan but like so many things in this eighty one year old's life nothing is predictable. a topless activist from the women's group femen shouts time's up belasco knee and your expired dallas county. but. there's little that can deter this veteran politician telescope he is barred from holding office because of tax evasion his coalition no could emerge as the largest bloc in parliament making him the kingmaker. and i like a cartoon character who wants everybody to like him makes me laugh is the fact that in two thousand and eleven he was absolutely finished destroyed devastated to detect by everyone but now he's supposed to be the savior of the country. is unique only he can adapt this way. i

admire him a lot for his tenacity. but bella skinny isn't the only politician who gets attention the anti establishment five star movement led by luigi gemayel could end up with the most votes but that may not be enough for an outright majority of the other not the challenger and also former prime minister ismail take renzi who leads the center left democratic party but he's expected to limp home in third place. from immigration to the struggling economy this election has been dogged by division and with a new election law and indecisive result likely italians may end up wondering what exactly they voted for. when i'll get the latest from that election from our correspondent in rome. and it's good to have you with us the pollsters have been predicting

a hung parliament is italy heading for political gridlock. rather a real italian drama is unfolding now because the three big blocks which will be voted into the parliament tonight block each other they are not ruling to enter into a coalition talks in any form you have the right wing populist you have to left wing populist and the social democrats and all of them would not have a majority of its own so they would need a coalition but they don't want to the most likely outcome and then a technical take a government that would take over for one year but the italian voter told me well we are used to this we can cope with this italians have always managed what we have seen during the campaign season however is a surge in support for populists a far right party is what exactly has been driving their popularity in italy. italians are very unsatisfied with that put it to her classify because reforms are not going forward unemployment is higher the economy is performing sluggish

migration is too high most people feel that through many markets are coming whether that's true or not and these topics have had to have formed a will to have another a fresh start and people are looking for an alternative and they come up with these populist ideas we have the right thing racist populist and also the left wing populist who just say we spend money we don't have so nobody knows exactly what the outcome of this will be about as i said the most likely outcome is none of these groups will come into government and briefly yes thank you for looking fund alternative and yet silvio berlusconi seems set for a comeback could this be his chance to do so. yes he had made in the sunshine come back i mean he looks like a mummy from the outside but he says he's very vividly politically inside he managed to form this right wing coalition and he says he's also willing to take

over the pros as prime minister in two thousand and nineteen now he cannot do this because he's blocked by a judge by a judicial injection but two thousand nine hundred he can come back again as prime minister and three get joining us from rome thank you. that's all from us thanks for watching and. make your smart t.v. even smarter courtney douglas smith. what you look what you want to. up to date. extraordinary. steps. to sidelights on. sunday ok d w just. click. play.