Merkel in fresh coalition talks to run Germany

ANGELA MERKEL has warned it will take “enormous work” to break Germany’s three-month political deadlock and form a new coalition government, as she headed into fresh negotiations with the country’s second largest party yesterday.

“I think that it can be done. We will work very swiftly and very intensively,” the chancellor told journalists as she arrived at the headquarters of the Social Democrats (SPD) for the first day of exploratory meetings, expected to last until the end of the week.

“I am going into these talks with optimism,” she said. “We will have an enormous piece of work in front of us over the next few days but we are willing to take it on and to bring a good result.” Mrs Merkel is hoping to form a coalition government with the SPD, three months after the general election in which her party was the largest party, but without a majority vote.

Initially, Martin Schulz, the SPD leader, refused to contemplate another alliance but agreed to talk after learning of a possible leadership challenge.