German conservatives, FDP to hold talks on Sunday - sources
FILE PHOTO: Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) addresses the media during a statement on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation in Berlin, Germany, September 22, 2021. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi
By Andreas Rinke
BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany's conservatives and the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) have agreed to hold talks about a possible coalition government on Sunday, people in the CDU/CSU conservative bloc said on Thursday.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives were narrowly beaten https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germans-vote-close-election-decide-merkel-successor-2021-09-25 by the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) in last Sunday's election. Both would need to team up https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/blending-chalk-cheese-assembling-government-germany-2021-09-28 with the Greens and FDP - which came third and fourth in the vote - to reach a majority.
CDU leader Armin Laschet, who led the conservatives to their worst-ever result in the election, and Markus Soeder, leader of the Bavarian CSU sister party, will meet with FDP leader Christian Lindner on Sunday, the people in the conservative bloc said.
A separate meeting of the conservatives and the Greens is planned for early next week, they said.
The planned meeting of the CDU/CSU and the FDP was first reported by Spiegel magazine.
The Greens and FDP have already held exploratory talks with each other this week aimed at bridging differences over taxation, debt, and the transition to a carbon-neutral economy.
The Greens said although the first round with the FDP was positive, they remained at odds over which larger partner to join in a coalition. The Greens prefer a coalition led by the SPD while the FDP say the CDU/CSU are their preferred partners.
The SPD and conservatives, who have governed together under outgoing Chancellor Merkel for the last eight years, have ruled out a repeat of their alliance.
(Writing by Emma Thomasson and Joseph Nasr, editing by Jane Merriman)
Serious News for Serious Traders! Try StreetInsider.com Premium Free!
You May Also Be Interested In
- IG4 seeks commitment to buy Brazil's Raizen by March 2027
- New Lebanon-Israel talks to begin, in shadow of US-Iran deal
- Analysis-Can Pakistan's peacekeeping role in Iran war give it an economic dividend?
Create E-mail Alert Related Categories
ReutersRelated Entities
Merriman Curhan FordSign up for StreetInsider Free!
Receive full access to all new and archived articles, unlimited portfolio tracking, e-mail alerts, custom newswires and RSS feeds - and more!



Tweet
Share