German deliberation about big coalition

berlin - The leaders of the German Social Democrats and of the Christian Democrats are considering Friday the desirability of cooperation for a new coalition government.

The Christian Democrat Chancellor Angela Merkel has been in charge since 2005 and in two cabinets she did so with Social Democratic SPD (2005-2009 and since 2013).

The current SPD leader Martin Schulz has said after the election defeat in September that he no longer wants to enter such a coalition. However, due to the new composition of the more than 700-member Bundestag, a deal is needed between the SPD and the Christian Democrats of the CDU and CSU. Otherwise, new elections are needed, because in November the negotiations failed for the only conceivable coalition without the SPD, because the right-wing liberal FDP did not like it anymore.

Schulz now seems to want to talk to Merkel about a government, despite opposition within his own party.