Germany’s conservative CDU/CSU alliance on Friday began exploratory talks with the Social Democrats (SPD) aimed at forming a new government coalition.
The CDU/CSU bloc is made up of likely future chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its smaller Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU).
What do we know about the talks?
The conservative bloc came in first place in Germany’s 23 February federal election, receiving some 28.5% of the vote.
Outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s SPD won just 16.4% in a historic low for the party.
Merz has ruled out entering into coalition with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which came in second place at 20.8%, and pledged to uphold the political “firewall” against the party.
Friday’s talks are expected to focus on setting a timetable for coalition negotiations. It is as of yet unclear when formal coalition talks will begin.
Merz has said that he aims to form government before Easter.
Coalition ‘not automatic’ — SPD’s Klingbeil
While the SPD has agreed to a swift start for talks, party co-leader Lars Klingbeil stressed that a coalition with the CDU/CSU was still not set in stone.
“It is not certain whether a government will be formed or whether the SPD will join a government,” he said, saying that the formation of a coalition was “not automatic.”
The SPD and CDU/CSU have butted heads on a number of key issues, including on migration, tax policy and public spending.
The SPD has called for Germany’s debt brake to be lifted in order to increase the federal budget, while the CDU/CSU has argued for keeping it in place while establishing a special fund for defense spending.
Edited by: Kieran Burke
