Merkel Calls for Beginning of Coalition Talks With Greens, Free Democratic Party

The German chancellor has announced the readiness to engage in talks with the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and The Greens to form a coalition.

BERLIN (Sputnik) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel officially announced on Saturday for the first time that her conservative bloc of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party Christian Social Union (CSU) was ready to engage in negotiations with the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and The Greens over forming a coalition government.

"There will be tough negotiations, but the goal is to form a reliable government [with the FDP and Greens]," Merkel said at the meeting with Germany's Young Union in the city of Dresden.

The chancellor added that despite the lack of experience in governing with The Greens, she wanted such government to be established.

As a result of the September 24 parliamentary election, CDU/CSU won 33 percent of votes and secured 246 seats in the parliament. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) came second with 20.5 percent of votes and refused to form a coalition with other parties. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which heavily criticizes Merkel’s open-door migrant policy, gained 12.6 percent of votes and entered the German parliament for the first time ever, having 94 mandates. The Free Democratic Party won 10.7 percent of votes (80 mandates), The Left party gained 9.2 percent (69 mandates) and The Greens entered the parliament with 8.9 percent of votes (67 mandates).

The required majority to elect the German chancellor and pass a legislation is 355 lawmakers. Thus, the most likely scenario for Merkel to govern would be the so-called Jamaica format coalition, including CDU/CSU, The Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP), named after the colors of the three parties, which would be 393 mandates in total.