Pro-business party OKs formal talks on new German government
ABC News
Germany’s pro-business Free Democrats on Monday became the last of three parties to back the start of formal coalition talks on forming a new government
BERLIN -- Germany's pro-business Free Democrats on Monday became the last of three parties to back the start of formal coalition talks on forming a new government.
The Free Democrats leader, Christian Lindner, said the party's national executive unanimously agreed to take the step following weeks of informal talks with the center-left Social Democrats and the environmentalist Greens.
Lindner said the three parties hadn't sought each other out ahead of the Sept. 26 election, “to put it diplomatically.”
“It's also no surprise that there are big differences on matters of substance,” he said, adding that those involved would need show “a lot of tolerance and willingness to think anew. Therein lies a chance, though, to do good things for our country."