Traffic light coalition is a term originating in German politics where it describes a coalition of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Free Democratic Party (FDP), and the Green Party. It arises from the fact that the parties' traditional colours, respectively red, yellow, and green, resemble the normal colour sequence of a traffic light. It has subsequently been used to describe similar coalitions in other countries. A coalition is an alliance between entities, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest. ... SPD redirects here. ... The Free Democratic Party (Freie Demokratische Partei - FDP) is a free-market liberal (libertarian) party in Germany. ... Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (literally: Alliance 90/The Greens), the German Green Party, is a political party in Germany whose regional predecessors were founded in the late 1970s as part of the new social movements. ... Traffic lights can have several additional lights for filter turns or bus lanes. ...

History

The phrase "traffic light coalition" is a direct translation of the German word Ampelkoalition.

At a state level, there have been two traffic light coalitions in Germany: in Brandenburg between 1990 and 1994 and in Bremen between 1991 and 1995. Negotiations to form such a coalition in Berlin in 2001 were unsuccessful. Germany is a Federal Republic made up of 16 States, known in German as Länder (transliterated as Laender in English, singular Land). ... Surrounding but excluding the national capital Berlin, Brandenburg is one of Germanys sixteen Bundesländer (federal states). ... This article is about the year. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... The Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (official name; German: Freie Hansestadt Bremen) is one of Germanys 16 states (Bundesländer). ... 1991 (MCMXCI in Roman) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1995 (MCMXCV in Roman) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ...

At a federal level, however, to date no government has been formed on this basis. Historically, there have been coalitions in the Bundestag between the SPD and the Greens, and between the SPD and the FDP. However, whilst there may be common ground in terms of social liberalism between the three parties, the FDP's market-oriented economic policies and long association at the federal level with the conservative Christian Democratic Union make such a coalition problematic at present. The word federal in a general sense refers to the nature of an agreement between or among two or more states, nations, or other groups to merge into a union in which control of common affairs is held by a central authority created by and with the consent of the... The Bundestag (Federal Diet) is the parliament of Germany. ... This article discusses liberalism as a major political ideology as it developed and stands currently. ... For related and other uses, see Conservatism (disambiguation) Conservatism is any of a number of political philosophies supporting traditional values or an established social order. ... This article needs cleanup. ...

The term became more widely used outside Germany when the inconclusive German federal election, 2005 led to its use in the international media. German federal elections took place on September 18, 2005 to elect the members of the 16th German Bundestag, the federal parliament of Germany. ...

Traffic light coalitions in other countries

Austria

In Austria the term Ampelkoalition has been borrowed from Germany to describe a theoretical coalition of the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), the Liberal Forum and the Greens. However, as the Liberal Forum's party colour is light blue, this is a reference to the political similarity between this coalition and a German traffic light coalition rather than to the party's actual symbolic colours. The Social Democratic Party of Austria (de:Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs, or SPÖ) is a political party in Austria. ... The Liberal Forum (de: Liberales Forum, or LiF) is a small liberal party in Austria. ... The Greens-Green Alternative (Die Grünen - Die Grüne Alternative (Grüne) in German) is a political party in the Austrian parliament. ...

As the Liberal Forum lost its parliamentary representation in the 2002 Austrian elections such a coalition remains highly theoretical. The election for the National Council of 24 November 2002, saw the consevative Austrian Peoples Party win the government, taking seats from the nationalist Freedom of Austria Party whom it was in coalition with. ...

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom the term has been used to describe a coalition between the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party of England and Wales, notably that which currently runs the City of Lancaster district council [1]. In Scotland, a similar coalition in the Scottish Parliament involving the Labour and Liberal Democrat Parties with the Scottish Green Party was mooted following the Scottish parliamentary election, 2003 [2]. In that year Labour and the Liberal Democrats continued their coalition with a slender majority, but it has become and remains the stated position of the Scottish Greens to aim for such a coalition in 2007. The Labour Party is the principal left wing (debatable) political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal political party based in the United Kingdom. ... The Green Party of England and Wales is the principal Green party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). ... The City of Lancaster is a local government district and city in Lancashire in North West England. ... Non-metropolitan districts (usually just called Districts) are local government sub-divisions of English Counties. ... Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the United Kingdom Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... For the national legislative body adjourned in 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ... The Scottish Green Party (Pàrtaidh Uaine na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is the Green party of Scotland, and a full member of the European Federation of Green Parties. ... The Scottish parliamentary election, 2003, was the second general election of the Scottish Parliament. ...

As with their German counterparts, the colours of Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the Greens are respectively red, yellow, and green. In terms of the party's political positions, a red-yellow-green coalition may be more likely in the United Kingdom than in Germany as the Liberal Democrats have traditionally tended to economics in the social democratic mould of their precursor party the Social Democratic Party and have worked with Labour in the last two Scottish Executives. (Indeed, they are perceived as lying to the left of New Labour in some spheres). However, the first past the post electoral system that applies for general elections and many local elections in the United Kingdom, coupled with the Greens' failure to breakthrough at a national level, means that a traffic light coalition is highly unlikely at Westminster in the foreseeable future. Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... This article is about the Social Democratic Party that existed from 1981 until 1988. ... The term Scottish Executive is used in two distinct but closely related senses. ... The Labour Party is the principal left wing (debatable) political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). ... The plurality voting system, also known as first past the post, is a voting system used to elect a single winner in a given election. ... The Palace of Westminster, known also as the Houses of Parliament, is where the two Houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (the House of Lords and the House of Commons) conduct their sittings. ...