Workers prepare the Plenary Hall of the Bundestag, the German Lower House of Parliament, for the upcoming inaugural session after the general election in Berlin, Germany, on October 15, 2021. BERLIN, Oct 15 Reuters - Leaders from Germany's centre-left Social Democrats SPD and two smaller parties will recommend to their parties the moving into formal coalition talks and have agreed a roadmap for negotiations, SPD chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz said on Friday.
The Free Democrats, who came First in last month's election, said the Greens and the business-friendly Social Democrats FDP said exploratory talks on whether they had enough in common to form a government together had been constructive.
Scholz says a new start can be possible with the three parties coming together, told a news conference.
FDP leader Christian Lindner said the traffic light coalition - named after the party colors of the SPD, the FDP and the Greens - was an opportunity If such different parties could agree on joint challenges and solutions, then that would be an opportunity to unite our country, he said, a chance that a possible coalition could be greater than the sum of its parts. This would be the first time such a transit link coalition was governed at a federal level and would put an end to 16 years of rule by conservatives under Chancellor Angela Merkel.
We are now convinced there has not been an opportunity like this to modernize society, economy and the government for a very long time. Lindner told the news conference
Scholz said all three parties are expected to deliver a decision by Monday on whether or not to go forward with the talks.