Friedrich Merz, the candidate for Chancellor from the winning CDU/CSU bloc in Germany’s parliamentary elections, confirmed on Monday, February 25, that talks have begun with the Social Democrats about forming a coalition. This was reported by The Guardian.
Before meeting with the CDU/CSU parliamentary faction, Merz announced that negotiations with the SPD regarding the formation of a new German government had already started. Merz emphasized the importance of quickly starting the talks, as the future government faces critical issues.
He added that his priorities remain foreign policy, security, migration, and the economy. The CDU/CSU intends to complete the formation of the government before Easter, meaning by April 20. The negotiations will be conducted jointly with the leader of the CSU, the CDU’s Bavarian partner, Markus Söder.
Early elections were held in Germany on February 23. Following the elections, the CDU/CSU received the most votes, while the right-wing party “Alternative for Germany,” supported by American billionaire Elon Musk, came in second, achieving its best result in history.
