BERLIN, Oct 15 Reuters - Leaders of the SPD SPD and two smaller parties will recommend moving into formal coalition talks and have agreed a road map for negotiations, SPD candidate Olaf Scholz said on Friday.
The Social Democrats, who were first in last month's election, said the Greens and the business-friendly FDP said exploratory talks about whether they had enough in common to form a government together had been constructive.
A new start is possible with the three parties coming together at Scholz conference, says Scholz.
If parties that are so different could agree on joint challenges and solutions, then that would be an opportunity to unite our country, FDP leader Christian Lindner said of the traffic light coalition named after the colours of the three parties.
It offered a chance that a possible coalition could be larger than the sum of its parts, Lindner added.
It would be the first time such a coalition had been in government at the federal level in Germany and would end 16 years of office for the conservatives under Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Howeth the Greens Co-Chief Annalena Baerbock said it must be a coalition of reform and advancement to make this decade of renewal We are now convinced that there has not been an opportunity like this to modernize society, business and the government for a very long time, Lindner said.
Scholz said all three parties are expected to announce by Monday whether or not they will go forward with the discussions.
According to the road map of coalition talks presented by Reuters, the parties agreed on major points including an exit from coal-fired power stations by 2030.
They also agreed that using 2% of land for offshore wind power farms, which would equip all suitable rooftops with solar panels and cutting time for planning and permits by at least half.
They agreed to increase the minimum wage to 12 euros $14 an hour in the first year of government and not to raise the retirement age or reduce pensions.