3 German parties aim to start formal coalition talks

Three German parties have announced that they aim to open formal coalition talks, moving a big step closer to a new government that would send outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right bloc into opposition

BERLIN -- Three German parties announced Friday that they aim to open formal coalition talks, moving a big step closer to a new government that would send outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right bloc into opposition. The prospective partners said they have a major opportunity to modernize Europe's biggest economy and combat climate change.

The center-left Social Democrats, the environmentalist Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats, all of whom made gains in Germany's Sept. 26 election, decided they were ready to plunge into full-fledged coalition negotiations after about a week of exploratory talks. That step still requires approval by a congress on Sunday of the Greens and by the Free Democrats' leadership on Monday.

If the talks are successful, Social Democrat Olaf Scholz — the finance minister and vice chancellor in the outgoing government — will become Germany's new leader. Scholz, who says he hopes the new government will be in place before Christmas, said negotiators achieved a “very good result.”

“It makes clear that a government can be formed in Germany that wants to ensure that we achieve progress,” Scholz told reporters. One of its focuses, he said, will be “a massive expansion of renewable energy, so that it is possible for us to do without the use of fossil resources as soon as possible.”