Berlin - Conservative German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she had a good working relationship with her Social Democrat (SPD) deputy after he homed in on her role in a row over the activities of the BND spy agency, which has put strains on their right-left coalition.
The expression of support for SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel came after a senior member of Merkel's party talked openly for the first time of the potential breakup of the coalition due to the scandal, which has dented the chancellor's popularity.
Critics accuse Merkel's staff of allowing the BND foreign intelligence agency to help the US National Security Agency (NSA) spy on European companies and officials.
Asked by reporters if she still had a good relationship with Gabriel, Merkel said: “I can answer that question with a straight yes.” She did not elaborate.
Gabriel has said the row could escalate if the suspicion persists that the BND had helped the NSA spy on German firms. He is also pushing for parliament to see a list of targets, such as Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of individual computers.
The content of the list is central to establishing whether the BND is at fault but the government says it must consult with Washington before releasing it.
Privacy is a potent issue in Germany due to extensive surveillance by Communist East Germany's Stasi secret police and also by the Gestapo in the Nazi era.
Senior conservative Volker Kauder said the climate had improved within the coalition after some damaging “shrill notes” from the SPD. The two blocs are at odds on issues from EU-US trade talks to some aspects of energy policy.
Michael Fuchs, the outspoken deputy parliamentary floor leader of Merkel's conservatives, raised the prospect of new elections.
“What would happen if Angela Merkel went for early elections via a vote of confidence in parliament?” Fuchs said in the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper, pointing to polls showing his party might emerge with other coalition options.
Fuchs said the Free Democrats (FDP), who shared power with Merkel from 2009-2013, are “at the door”, ready to cross the 5 percent threshold needed to re-enter parliament. The pro-business party is trying to rebuild its support after crashing out of parliament in the 2013 election.
Fuchs said the SPD should not “throw stones” at Merkel when its own support is weak. The SPD is hovering around 25 percent in most polls with Merkel's conservatives on around 42 percent.
At a joint news conference with Merkel, French President Francois Hollande said he was certain Germany would clear up the affair. There have been allegations that the BND helped the NSA spy on French targets.
Reuters