Germany’s CDU/CSU conservative alliance and Social Democrats (SPD) want to complete coalition government negotiations before February 4, a media report said.
Michael Grosse-Bromer, CDU/ CSU parliamentary group leader, made the announcement after the first round of the formal talks beginning Friday on a new “grand coalition” government.
But he stressed a “time buffer ” after the timing, reports Xinhua.
The coalition government is expected to be formed by the incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU with its sister party CSU and SPD.
Meanwhile, Merkel was optimistic about the talks.
“People expect us to move towards forming a government, and that’s why I’m very optimistic and very determined in these discussions that we reach a result and I believe that is achievable in a relatively manageable time frame,” Deutsche Welle, Germany’s public international broadcaster, quoted Merkel as saying.
SPD leader Martin Schulz said forming a stable government was pivotal for the country’s success: “Given the challenges from China and the US, the EU needs a strong, pro-European Germany.”
Horst Seehofer, who leads the CSU, was upbeat ahead of the talks, saying: “We will do everything in our power today and in the coming weeks to arrive at a good result.”
The previous government was the third “grand coalition” since Germany adopted its current political system.
Germany also witnessed “grand coalitions” in the 1960s and 2000s.