Germany's SPD in all-or-nothing vote on coalition with Merkel

Bonn

GERMANY'S divided Social Democrats were holding a crunch vote on Sunday on whether to pursue a coalition deal with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, or plunge Europe's top economy into political turmoil.

At an extraordinary congress in the western city of Bonn, 600 delegates from the centre-left SPD and its 45-member board will have their say on entering into formal talks for a renewed alliance with Ms Merkel's centre-right CDU/CSU bloc.

The stakes could scarcely be higher for Ms Merkel as a "no" vote would leave her with the option of leading an unstable minority government - a prospect she has baulked at - or face snap polls.

The fate of SPD chief Martin Schulz also hangs in the balance, with pundits predicting he would have to step down should he fail to …