Merz says he will enter into talks with the SPD without delay
Election winners CDU/CSU to enter into coalition talks with the current governing party SPD.
Berlin (dpa) – Following the CDU/CSU’s victory in the Bundestag elections, CDU/CSU chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz is seeking to enter into talks with the SPD on forming a new federal government without delay. Merz announced “good, constructive and speedy talks” with the SPD in order to form a government “approximately by Easter”. The current Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz is a member of the SPD. Along with the ministers, he will remain in office until there is a new government.
Under Article 39 of the Basic Law, the new Bundestag must be elected by no later than the 30th day after the elections. That would be 25 March. This constituent meeting marks the beginning of the new legislative term and the end of the government’s term of office in accordance with Article 69 of the Basic Law. At this point, however, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will ask Federal Chancellor Scholz to continue in office until a successor is appointed, as he is obliged to do under Article 69.
Former Finance Minister Lindner retires from politics
Former Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the FDP is to resign as party chairman and retire from politics. His party belonged to the governing coalition until the latter collapsed last December. The FDP saw its vote share cut in half and failed to re-enter the Bundestag.
Having run as the Greens’ chancellor candidate, the incumbent Minister for Economic Affairs Robert Habeck announced he would be stepping back from key roles within his party.