Merkel begins coalition talks with Social Democrats

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN

German Chancellor Angela Merkel began coalition talks with her center-left rivals on Wednesday amid growing pressure to end the political deadlock since September's election.

Merkel and senior figures from her conservative CDU/CSU bloc met with Social Democratic Party (SPD) leader Martin Schulz in the evening to discuss the possibility of forming another “grand coalition”.

The leaders did not make any comment as they entered the Jakob-Kaiser-Haus at the German parliament for the preliminary coalition talks.

Following Wednesday’s meeting, the SPD’s executive committee is scheduled to meet on Friday to decide whether to continue talks with Merkel’s conservatives.

In case of a positive decision, preliminary coalition talks are not expected to start before January.

Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union's (CDU) and its sister party Christian Social Union (CSU) emerged as the largest bloc in the Bundestag following September’s federal election but they failed to secure an absolute majority.

Coalition talks between the conservative bloc, the Free Democratic Party and the Greens failed last month after weeks of negotiation.

The SPD’s party conference last week gave the go-ahead for preliminary coalition talks with Merkel’s CDU/CSU bloc, after eight hours of heated debate.

SPD leader Martin Schulz promised to the delegates that preliminary talks would be conducted in an "open-ended" way, and would not necessarily mean Social Democrats would become part of a coalition government.

Schulz previously opposed a repetition of the “grand coalition” of the previous term -- blaming it for his party's losses in the Sept. 24 election.

Both the SPD and CDU/CSU emerged weakened in September's poll, and many in the SPD have blamed their poor showing on the party's membership in the previous coalition.

Although Merkel's bloc is still the biggest group in the parliament, it needs the support of either the SPD, which is the second largest group in Bundestag, or two smaller parties to form a government.