Social–liberal coalition () in the politics of Germany refers to a governmental coalition formed by the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the Free Democratic Party (FDP). From 1969 to 1982, social–liberal coalitions led by Federal Chancellors Willy Brandt and Helmut Schmidt governed the Federal Republic of Germany: First and second Brandt cabinet, first and second Schmidt cabinet.
The term stems from social democracy of the SPD and the liberalism of the FDP. Because of the colours traditionally used to symbolise the two parties (red for SPD and yellow for FDP), such a coalition is also referred to as a "red–yellow" coalition (rot–gelbe Koalition). The FDP is basically an economic/classical liberal party, but under the coalition, the FDP and the SPD are close to left-liberalism (Linksliberalismus).
In the past, the SPD usually governs with the Alliance '90/The Greens and the FDP orients itself towards long-term co-operation with the Christian Democratic Union and Bavarian Christian Social Union. However, a social–liberal coalition ruled from 1991 to 2006 in the German State of Rhineland-Palatinate and would have continued to do so, had the SPD not won an absolute majority. Social–liberal coalitions have previously been in power in many other federal states of Germany as well.
As of 2025, social–liberal coalitions have become rare, as the FDP missed the Five percent hurdle in many elections, i.e. 2013 and 2025 German federal election Saxony: In the September 2024 election, the FDP received only 0.9% of the vote. Thuringia: In September 2024, FDP the received only 1.1% Brandenburg: In the 2024 election, the FDP received 0.8% of the vote
Bavaria: 3.0 % in the 2023 state election Lower Saxony: 4.7 % in the 2022 state election Saarland: 4.8 % in the 2022 state election Berlin: 4.6 % in the 2023 state election Hamburg: 2.3% in the 2025 state election
The traffic light coalition (Scholz cabinet (December 2021-May 2025) was a combination of the social–liberal coalition and the red–green coalition insofar as it included SPD, FDP and the greens, which are the constituent elements of the other two coalitions. The Weimar Coalition was a similar constellation of parties as it included the Social Democratic Party as well as a left-liberal party (the then German Democratic Party one of the predecessors of the FDP) and the liberal-conservative/conservative-liberal element also present in the FDP with the Zentrumspartei. However, the political Catholicism espoused by the Zentrum is absent in the postwar social–liberal coalition.
Social–liberal coalitions at the federal state level
After the term, the leader of the government is given.
Berlin 1963–66 Willy Brandt (despite having an absolute majority) 1966–67 Heinrich Albertz (despite having an absolute majority: :de:Senat Albertz I – :de:Senat Albertz II) 1967–71 Klaus Schütz (despite having an absolute majority) 1975–77 Klaus Schütz 1977–81 Dietrich Stobbe 1981 Hans-Jochen Vogel
Bremen 1959–65 Wilhelm Kaisen 1967–71 Hans Koschnick
Hamburg 1957–61 Max Brauer 1961–65 Paul Nevermann 1965–66 Herbert Weichmann (de) 1970–71 Herbert Weichmann (de) 1971–74 Peter Schulz (de) 1974–78 Hans-Ulrich Klose (de) 1987–88 Klaus von Dohnanyi (de) 1988–91 Henning Voscherau (de)
Hesse 1970–76 Albert Osswald (de) 1976–82 Holger Börner (Cabinets I, II, III)
Lower Saxony 1963–65 Georg Diederichs 1974–76 Alfred Kubel (de)
North Rhine-Westphalia 1956–58 Fritz Steinhoff (de) 1966–78 Heinz Kühn 1978–80 Johannes Rau (:de:Kabinett Rau I)
Rhineland-Palatinate 1991–94 Rudolf Scharping 1994–2006 Kurt Beck (I, II, III, IV)
See also German governing coalition Grand coalition (Germany) Traffic light coalition Jamaica coalition Red–green alliance Lib–Lab pact, the equivalent in British politics Social Liberal Union and National Coalition for Romania, the equivalents in Romanian politics Purple coalition, the equivalent in the Benelux
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