Germany edges towards centre-left coalition as three-way talks agreed

BERLIN (DPA), 6 OCT, 2021 - Germany’s Green Party and Free Democrats (FDP) said on Wednesday they were ready for formal, three-way talks with the Social Democrats (SPD) about forming a coalition, bringing Germany a small step closer to having a new government after elections last month.

The elections left it unclear as to which parties could command a majority in parliament, and prompted a flurry of coalition talks between the parties hoping for a seat in the next cabinet.

“We have accepted the proposal of talks with the SPD,” FDP party leader Christian Lindner said in Berlin on Wednesday, shortly after a similar statement from the Greens’ Annalena Baerbock.

Talks to form a so-called “Jamaica” coalition with the conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the Greens, however, remained an option, Lindner emphasized, though he confirmed that there would be no parallel negotiations with the conservative CDU/CSU for now.

Germany’s Green Party and Free Democrats (FDP) said on Wednesday they were ready for formal, three-way talks with the Social Democrats (SPD) about forming a coalition