traffic light coalition

{{See also|List of participants in the Scholz cabinet coalition negotiations}}At a state level, early traffic light coalitions occurred in Brandenburg between 1990 and 1994 and in Bremen between 1991 and 1995.{{cite web |last1=Downs |first1=William M. |title=Coalition Government, Subnational Style |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/159576981.pdf |publisher=Ohio State University Press Columbus |access-date=24 November 2021 |date=1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211124184543/https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/159576981.pdf |archive-date=24 November 2021 |url-status=live }}{{cite book |title=The Week in Germany |date=19 May 1995 |publisher=German Information Center |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4R5oAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA17-PA7 |access-date=24 November 2021}} Negotiations to form such a coalition following the 2001 Berlin state election were not successful;{{cite news |title=PDS takes power in Berlin |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/pds-takes-power-in-berlin-1.1047068 |newspaper=The Irish Times |access-date=25 November 2021 |date=18 January 2002}} likewise, preliminary talks after the 2010 North Rhine-Westphalia state election led to no result.{{cite news |last1=Beucker |first1=Pascal |title=Neue Chance für Rot-Rot-Grün |url=https://taz.de/!5142699/ |newspaper=Die Tageszeitung: Taz |access-date=25 November 2021 |language=German |date=15 May 2010}} A traffic light coalition was formed in Rhineland-Palatinate following the 2016 Rhineland-Palatinate state election.{{cite web |last1=Brady |first1=Kate |title=Rhineland-Palatinate plays it safe, re-electing SPD for sixth consecutive term |url=https://www.dw.com/en/rhineland-palatinate-plays-it-safe-re-electing-spd-for-sixth-consecutive-term/a-19112416 |website=DW |access-date=24 November 2021 |date=13 March 2016}} The 2021 Rhineland-Palatinate state election marked the first time in German history that an outgoing traffic light coalition was replaced by a renewed traffic light coalition in a state election.{{cite web |last1=Niewel |first1=Gianna |title=Wo die Ampel leuchtet |url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/rheinland-pfalz-ampel-vorbild-1.5424511 |website=Süddeutsche Zeitung |language=German |date=28 September 2021}}

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Historically, there have been red–green coalitions between the SPD and the Greens (from 1998 to 2005) and social-liberal coalitions between the SPD and the FDP (from 1969 to 1982) in the Bundestag.{{Cite book|last1=Larres|first1=Klaus|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dFRdBAAAQBAJ|title=The Federal Republic of Germany since 1949: Politics, Society and Economy before and after Unification|last2=Panayi|first2=Panikos|date=2014-08-27|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-89174-1|pages=100|language=en}}{{Cite book|last1=Hancock|first1=M. Donald|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PQqmAwAAQBAJ|title=Politics in Germany|last2=Krisch|first2=Henry|date=2008-07-10|publisher=CQ Press|isbn=978-1-4833-0117-4|pages=109|language=en}} Despite the common ground on cultural liberalism between the three parties, the FDP's economic liberalism and long association at the federal level with the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) traditionally made such a coalition problematic,{{cite web |last1=Rinke |first1=Andreas |last2=Marsh |first2=Sarah |title=Three German parties reach coalition deal to end Merkel era |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germanys-spd-greens-fdp-present-coalition-deal-wednesday-2021-11-24/ |website=Reuters |access-date=24 November 2021 |date=24 November 2021}} with former FDP chairman Guido Westerwelle explicitly ruling out this option for the 2009 federal election.{{cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,643586-2,00.html |title=SPIEGEL Interview With FDP Leader Westerwelle – SPIEGEL ONLINE |newspaper=Der Spiegel |publisher=Spiegel.de |date= 18 August 2009|access-date=2012-10-29}} Previously, the inconclusive 2005 federal election had produced media speculation about a traffic light coalition, but no such coalition was formed.{{cite web |last1=Peifer |first1=Douglas |title=Peifer on Langenbacher, 'Launching the Grand Coalition: The 2005 Bundestag Elections and the Future of German Politics' |url=https://networks.h-net.org/node/35008/reviews/45248/peifer-langenbacher-launching-grand-coalition-2005-bundestag-elections |website=H-Net |publisher=H-German |access-date=4 December 2021 |date=November 2007}}

Following the 2021 federal election, the SPD emerged as the largest party in the Bundestag, with 25.7%, but did not have enough seats either to govern outright or together with the third place 14.7% Greens. With the SPD and the CDU ruling out a grand coalition with each other, a traffic light coalition was viewed as the most likely outcome by many in the media.{{cite news |title=Factbox: German "traffic light" coalition seen as most likely |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/german-traffic-light-coalition-seen-most-likely-2021-09-27/ |access-date=27 September 2021 |work=Reuters |date=27 September 2021 |language=en}}{{cite web |last1=Kirby |first1=Jen |title=Germany's (sort of) change elections |url=https://www.vox.com/2021/9/27/22695912/germany-election-results-olaf-scholz-spd-merkel-cdu-greens |website=Vox |access-date=10 December 2021 |date=27 September 2021}} On 24 November 2021, the SPD, Greens, and FDP announced that they had reached a deal to implement the coalition, with SPD candidate Olaf Scholz set to become chancellor. The coalition went into effect when Scholz and his cabinet took office on 8 December 2021.{{cite web |last1=Stickings |first1=Tim |title=Who is Olaf Scholz? German chancellor takes reins of new Cabinet |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/europe/2021/12/08/who-is-olaf-scholz-german-chancellor-takes-reins-of-new-cabinet/ |website=The National |access-date=6 January 2022 |date=8 December 2021}} However, the coalition collapsed on 6 November 2024 following disagreements between Scholz and his Finance Minister Christian Lindner, the leader of the FDP; after Lindner refused to support the planned 2025 federal budget, Scholz dismissed him and consequently all FDP ministers resigned, leaving a SPD-Greens minority government.{{Cite web |date=2024-11-06 |title=Scholz sets stage for German snap election as government collapses |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-coalition-government-collapse-olaf-scholz-finance-minister-christian-lindner/ |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=POLITICO |language=en-GB}}

In Australia, a "traffic light coalition" could refer to a coalition between the Labor Party, the Australian Greens and Australian Democrats. Though such a coalition was never formed, as Labor and the Greens never formed a coalition until the 2010 Tasmanian state election. However, following the 2001 Australian Capital Territory election, Labor formed a minority government supported by the Greens and the Democrats, the closest thing to a "traffic light" coalition ever experienced. In the lead up to the 2024 Tasmanian state election a coalition involving Labor, the Greens and the Jacqui Lambie Network was discussed.{{Cite news |last=Morton |first=Adam |date=2024-03-24 |title=Liberal minority rule, Lambie alliance or Labor 'traffic light' coalition: where to now for Tasmanian politics? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/mar/24/liberal-minority-rule-lambie-alliance-or-labor-traffic-light-coalition-where-to-now-for-tasmanian-politics |access-date=2024-04-22 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} The JLN is not a liberal party but rather a big tent populist party.{{Cite web |last=Moffitt |first=Benjamin |date=2022-04-11 |title=Populism and the federal election: what can we expect from Hanson, Palmer, Lambie and Katter? |url=http://theconversation.com/populism-and-the-federal-election-what-can-we-expect-from-hanson-palmer-lambie-and-katter-179567 |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=The Conversation |language=en-US}}

In Austria, the term Ampelkoalition has been borrowed from Germany to describe a theoretical coalition of the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), The Greens, and a liberal party. In the 1990s, this referred to the Liberal Forum (LiF). In the 2010s, the term reemerged to describe a theoretical coalition of the SPÖ, Greens, and NEOS – The New Austria, the latter of which is the successor to the Liberal Forum. NEOS's colour is pink, rather than yellow.{{cite web|url=https://kurier.at/meinung/die-ampel-blinkt-auch-in-oesterreich/401775753|title=The traffic light also flashes in Austria|date=20 October 2021|language=de|website=Kurier}}

The Verhofstadt I Government of Belgium, headed by Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt from 1999 to 2003, comprised liberals (the Flemish Liberals and Democrats and French-speaking Liberal Reformist Party), socialists (the Flemish Socialist Party and the French-speaking Socialist Party), and greens (the Flemish Agalev and the French-speaking Ecolo).{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}} However, as the political colours of the liberal parties were blue instead of yellow, it was known as the "purple-green" coalition.

Following the 2013 general election in Luxembourg, negotiations started with the aim of forming a three-party coalition government comprising the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP), the Democratic Party (DP) and The Greens in order to oust the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) of the incumbent Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}} This variant on the traffic light coalition is known as a "Gambia coalition" ({{langx|de|Gambia-Koalition}}; {{langx|lb|Gambia(-)Koalitioun, Gambiakoalitioun}}), as the party colours match the flag of the Gambia,{{cite web|url=https://luxtimes.lu/archives/20501-three-way-gambia-coalition-a-first-for-luxembourg|title=Three-way "Gambia Coalition": a first for Luxembourg|website=luxtimes.lu|date=11 December 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/juncker-sidelined-as-luxembourgs-royal-palace-steps-in/a-17184023|title=Juncker sidelined as Luxembourg's royal palace steps in – DW – 25.10.2013|website=DW.COM}} and Luxembourg's liberal party (DP) uses blue as its party colour rather than yellow.

In Romania the term of traffic light coalition has recently been described as a coalition consisting of Social Democratic Party (PSD), National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR/RMDSZ).{{cite news| url=https://romanialibera.ro/op-ed/coalitia-semafor/| title=Coaliția semafor|publisher=România Liberă|date=2021-11-26|accessdate=2021-12-21|language=ro}} After political crisis of 2021 which resulted in the breakup of the center-right coalition between the PNL, the USR and the UDMR, a traffic light government was elected (also called the National Coalition for Romania) consisting of PSD, PNL and UDMR, Ciucă Cabinet.{{cite news| url=https://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-politic-25202694-alianta-psd-pnl-udmr-numi-coalitia-nationala-pentru-romania-contine-acordul-politic.htm| title=DOCUMENT Alianța PSD-PNL-UDMR se va numi Coaliția Națională pentru România / Ce conține acordul politic / Cum se schimbă ministerele la rotație: Justiția va reveni PSD, Finanțele, PNL – Politic – HotNews.ro|publisher=www.hotnews.ro|date=2021-11-24|accessdate=2021-12-21|language=ro}}

As a result of the 2024 parliamentary election, the traffic light government formula between PSD, PNL and UMDR returned, this time under the Second Ciolacu Cabinet.{{cite web|accessdate=2024-12-23 |date=2024-12-23 |language=ro-RO |publisher=G4Media.ro |title=LIVE Guvernul Ciolacu 2, învestit la limită în Parlament / Ciolacu: Eu am înțeles votul de protest al românilor / Simion: Ipocrizia e la cote maxime / Bolojan: Că ne place, că nu ne place, una dintre primele decizii bune e să votăm acest Guvern / Drulă: Ceaușescu rânjește din iad |url=https://www.g4media.ro/surse-guvernul-ciolacu-2-urmeaza-sa-fie-investit-luni-coalitia-vrea-sa-incheie-toata-procedura-astazi-la-ora-11-00-iohannis-sa-l-desemneze-pe-ciolacu-audierile-si-votul-din-parlament-sa-fie-bifate.html}}

In the United Kingdom the term has been used to describe a coalition between the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party of England and Wales, notably that which has run the City of Lancaster district council from time to time, including from the 2019 election.{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/guardianpolitics/story/0,3605,1566749,00.html | work=The Guardian | location=London | title=Delegates try to shake off image as single-issue party | first=Julian | last=Glover | date=10 September 2005 | access-date=25 May 2010}}{{cite news|url=https://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/news/uk-news/new-make-lancaster-city-council-cabinet-after-labour-members-leave-form-new-group-3084354|title=New make-up for Lancaster City Council Cabinet after Labour members leave to form new group|last=Lakin|first=Nick|date=7 January 2021|work=Lancaster Guardian}}

For the April 2024 elections, the Justice Party and the Green Party announced the formation of an election alliance, the Green-Justice Party, and thus creating the start Korea's version of a left-wing traffic light coalition. The Labor Party announced in early 2025 that they would join the alliance, forming the full traffic light coalition.{{cite web | url=https://www.kwnews.co.kr/page/view/2024121618470229835 | title=강원 진보3당 공동성명 "탄핵을 넘어 진짜 민주주의 쟁취 위해 투쟁" | date=17 December 2024 }} Since the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol triggered a Presidential Election, the three progressive parties have announced that they will field a joint candidate.

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{{German governing coalition}}

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Category:Political history of Germany

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Category:Political terminology in Germany

Category:German governing coalitions