traffic light coalition en · NOUN
Etymology
Calque of German Ampelkoalition.
Meanings
-
(German) A German political coalition consisting of the Social Democratic Party, the Free Democratic Party, and the Greens.
In a quirk of German politics, the governing coalitions are often given names. The previous coalition government, headed by the SPD (red), included the Green Party (green) and Liberal Party (yellow) - together they were known as the “traffic light” coalition.
2025 February 22, Sebastian Shukla, Nadine Schmidt and Claudia Otto, “Germany is holding a national election. Here’s what’s at stake”, in CNN:“The end of the traffic light coalition is a liberation for our country. The end of the self-proclaimed ‘progressive coalition’ that took Germany to the brink of economic ruin was more than overdue,” Weidel wrote on X.
2024 November 7, Sophie Tanno, Sebastian Shukla and Olesya Dmitracova, “Germany’s normally stable government has collapsed. Here’s why”, in CNN:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| traffic light coalitions | Number=Plur | lexicographic |