- Title: Germany's SPD wants to open coalition talks this week
- Date: 28th September 2021
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 28, 2021) (CORONA POOL) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF SCHOLZ AND SPD PARLIAMENTARY FLOOR LEADER ROLF MUETZENICH WALKING IN HALLWAY AND SIGNING UP IN ATTENDANCE LIST FOR SPD FLOOR MEETING MUETZENICH LISTENING TO QUESTION PEOPLE IN HALLWAY (SOUNDBITE) (German) SPD PARLIAMENTARY FLOOR LEADER ROLF MUETZENICH, SAYING: "The Greens and the FDP were invited by us to open coalition talks already this week, should they wish to do so (gestures). I believe both small parties (Greens and FDP) must know that the spectacle they produced here four years ago, sometimes on balconies, is not worthy of the task. So my hope is that we will quickly come to an agreement."
- Embargoed: 12th October 2021 10:50
- Keywords: CDU Free Democrats FDP German Social Democrats Greens Olaf Scholz SPD coalition government
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Europe,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA002EWMUDZB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Germany's Social Democrats, who narrowly won Sunday's national election ahead of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, said on Tuesday (September 28) they hoped to talk to the Greens and Free Democrats later this week about forming a three-way government.
The Greens and the liberal FDP, who are far apart on many issues, have said they will first talk to each other to seek areas of compromise before starting negotiations with either the SPD or the conservatives.
SPD parliamentary party leader Rolf Muetzenich said he welcomed the initiative of the two smaller parties to smooth out their differences, but he still wanted to talk to the potential partners in a three-way coalition this week.
"The Greens and the FDP were invited by us to open coalition talks already this week, should they wish to do so," Muetzenich told reporters at parliament.
Olaf Scholz, the candidate to become the first SPD chancellor since Merkel took over in 2005, said on Twitter he was hopeful about progress.
His conservative rival Armin Laschet, 60, has said he could still try to form a government despite leading his CDU/CSU bloc to their worst ever national election result.
However, Germans are not in favour of another conservative-led government: 71% oppose Laschet trying to become chancellor after his poor results, according to an opinion poll by the Civey institute for the Augsburger Allgemeine daily.
(Production: Oliver Barth, Oliver Denzer, Michele Sani) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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