Talks to form a ruling coalition begin today in Germany
Conservatives from the CDU/CSU bloc, which won the most votes in Sunday's parliamentary elections in Germany, will begin talks with the Social Democrats (SPD) today to form a possible coalition, sources in the two camps said.
The leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Friedrich Mertz, who is due to become a new chancellor, has previously said he wants to form a government by Easter, April 20, but the Social Democrats have noted disagreements over the formation of their fifth « Greater Coalition ».
At today's first meeting, nine representatives from each side are expected, whose content will not be announced because they have reached a confidentiality agreement.
These conversations are the first step ahead of coalition negotiations, and they could take months.
« The world is waiting for us, things are still changing rapidly, » Merz said on Monday, determined to « have constructive, good and fast talks with the Social Democrats. »
Mertz mentioned three points as priorities in talks: foreign and security policy, « unresolved migration issue » and the economic situation.
The conservative bloc won 28.6 % of the election, and Mertz immediately said he did not want a coalition with the far -right Alternative for Germany (AFD), which came in second with 20.8 percent of the vote.
The Social Democrats are third with about 16 % of the vote, which is a major defeat for former Chancellor Olaf Scholz's party.
