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Which parties formed Angela Merkel’s third government in 2013?
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Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel, the first woman to serve as chancellor of Germany, 2012.
Following the September 2013 federal election, Angela Merkel’s third government was formed as a "grand coalition" between the CDU-CSU alliance and the Social Democratic Party (SPD).12
Although the CDU-CSU won nearly 42 percent of the vote, they fell just short of an absolute majority. Because their previous coalition partner, the Free Democratic Party, failed to meet the 5 percent threshold required for parliamentary representation, Merkel entered into negotiations with the SPD. After more than two months of talks, the parties reached an agreement, and Merkel was sworn in for her third term on December 17, 2013.13