Following his party’s success in Germany’s parliamentary elections, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz announced plans to begin coalition talks with the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).
Merz revealed he will meet with SPD co-chair Lars Klingbeil and incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz, with hopes to start discussions as early as next week.
Merz expressed his confidence in forming a “black-red” coalition with the SPD, as the CDU-CSU and SPD together hold enough seats to establish a majority.
“Germany needs an effective government with a parliamentary majority,” Merz stated, emphasizing his optimism about collaborating with the Social Democrats to form a government. He added that the key discussion points will focus on foreign policy, migration, economic strategies, and industrial issues.
In addition, Merz plans to address recent changes in electoral law, which he believes were “one-sidedly directed against the CDU.”
The February 23 federal elections in Germany saw the CDU-CSU emerge as the leading party, with the right-wing “Alternative for Germany,” which has received support from American billionaire Elon Musk, securing its best result ever.
