Members of Germany’s Social Democratic Party have voted in favour of joining a coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc.
The decision clears the last major hurdle to the formation of a new government and a fourth term for Ms Merkel.
Sunday’s announcement by the party’s leadership ends almost six months of uncertainty in German politics, the longest the country has been without a government in its post-war history.
The centre-left Social Democrats had furiously debated whether to extend the so-called grand coalition for another four years after suffering a slump in last year’s election.
In the end, two-thirds of the party’s 464,000 members approved a coalition deal.
Parliament is expected to meet next week to elect Ms Merkel as chancellor, confirming her position as one of Europe’s dominant politicians.