German 'kingmakers' meet on coalition, courted by would-be kings
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[October 01, 2021]
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Greens
and Free Democrats met on Friday for a second round of exploratory talks
aimed at finding common ground on which to form a new coalition
government with either the Social Democrats or conservatives, both of
whom have courted them.
The Greens and Free Democrats, who are from opposite ends of the
political spectrum and differ https://reut.rs/3uiuoJG on a range of
issues, have moved centre stage after the Social Democrats (SPD) won
Sunday's election by a narrow margin that leaves them seeking partners.
Both the centre-left SPD and Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative
bloc, which slumped to a record low result, would need the centre-right
Free Democrats (FDP) and leftist Greens as partners to get a
parliamentary majority for a ruling coalition.
The Greens favour a three-way tie-up with the FDP and SPD, while the FDP
would prefer the two smaller parties to join forces with Merkel's
conservatives in a "Jamaica" coalition - so-called as their colours
match the island nation's flag.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2021/Oct/01/images/ads/current/safety-tip-daily-3.png)
"Jamaica has a chance," Markus Blume, general secretary of the Bavarian
Christian Social Union (CSU), sister party to Merkel's Christian
Democratic Union (CDU), told reporters.
FDP deputy leader Johannes Vogel said policy content would be critical
to how the coalition talks play out. After their meeting on Friday, the
FDP and Greens both plan to speak separately with the larger SPD and CDU/CSU
in the coming days.
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![](../images/100121PIX/news_m23.jpg)
Olaf Scholz, Finance Minister and SPD Chancellor candidate, takes
part in a photo session after an SPD parliamentary group meeting in
the Bundestag after the general election, in Berlin, Germany,
September 29, 2021. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi/File Photo
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"We are devoting ourselves to these substantive
questions now, very consciously first with the Greens and then in
the talks over the next few days, and then we will have to see,"
Vogel told broadcaster ARD.
A survey by pollster Forschungsgruppe Wahlen for broadcaster ZDF
showed that 59% of respondents favoured a government alliance of SPD,
Greens and FDP, with 76% saying they would like to see the Social
Democrats' Olaf Scholz as the next chancellor.
Asked in an interview with Spiegel magazine whether he would become
chancellor after talks with the Greens and FDP, Scholz said: "Yes",
adding that the partners in such a tie-up must engage with each
other in a "joint government with their ideas".
Merkel, in power since 2005, plans to step down once a new
government is formed.
(Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
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