The Christian Democratic Union, which won the snap parliamentary elections in Germany, will begin talks on forming a government with the Social Democratic Party around March 2.
This was stated by the CDU leader and future Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz.
He said he would speak to SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil today. He would also speak to current Chancellor Olaf Scholz “in the coming days”. All in order to prepare a “reasonable transition phase”.
"Whether a government will be formed, whether the SPD will enter the government, is unknown. The ball is in Friedrich Merzʼs court to approach the Social Democrats and seek dialogue," Lars said.
The Christian Democratic Union, led by Friedrich Merz, won the German election on February 23. They will need to form a coalition with another party to have a majority of votes and the ability to form a government.
Merz has previously said he does not want to unite with the Social Democrats led by Olaf Scholz. He also said he plans to form a new federal government by Easter, April 20.
Even before the election, Merz said he would not cooperate with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, led by Alice Weidel, which came in second place with 20.8%. This is the best election result for this political force in its history.
What is the position of the future German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Ukraine?
During the full-scale invasion, Merz visited Ukraine several times and met with Volodymyr Zelensky. He supports the provision of both humanitarian and military aid, but is not ready to talk about security guarantees or German peacekeepers. The main difference from the current government is that Merz wants to allow the supply of Taurus
Merz emphasizes that Ukraine should be allowed to strike targets on Russian territory with German weapons, because now “we are allowing Ukraine to fight with one hand tied behind its back”. According to him, Ukraine has the prospect of becoming an EU member, and its path to NATO is “irreversible.” As for the US, Merz promises tougher relations with the new administration. He especially wants to complain to Trump about Elon Musk, who publicly supported the Alternative for Germany.
“That’s why everyone is paying attention to Germany right now. How quickly will the Germans be able to form a government after such a difficult election result? For me, this is really a priority right now,” he wrote on election day in Germany, February 23.
What preceded the early elections in Germany
In early November 2023, Scholz dismissed Finance Minister Christian Lindner, accusing him of irresponsibility, selfishness, and acting only in the interests of his Free Democratic Party—one of three in the governmentʼs governing coalition. Lindner announced that the Free Democrats were leaving the coalition and taking all of their ministers with them.
Scholz made the decision due to differences with Lindner on budgetary, financial and economic policy. German media reported that the three-party coalition could not decide what to do with the 2025 budget.
This led to a political crisis in Germany, which eventually led to early elections. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called the elections for February 23.
For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine please follow us on X.