German kingmakers open coalition talks

The two parties that are expected to determine who becomes Germany's next chancellor have started talks to bridge their differences and declared that they have gotten off to a good start.

Forming a government can take weeks or months as parties thrash out in detail the new coalition's plans.

Sunday's parliamentary election left Germany's traditional big parties effectively needing the support of the third- and fourth-placed parties, namely the environmentalist Greens and the business-friendly Free Democrats, to take the top job after outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel's 16-year governance.

The two smaller parties have since decided to talk to each other first before entertaining the advances from bigger suitors.

Though they have some common ground, a report by The Associated Press said they traditionally belong to rival ideological camps and have different approaches to issues including the economy and climate.

In recent decades, the Greens have tended toward the center-left Social Democrats, or SPD, of narrow election winner Olaf Scholz. The Free Democrats have tended toward Merkel's center-right Union bloc, which finished second under would-be successor Armin Laschet. It is the bloc's worst ever election result.

In identical Instagram posts early on Wednesday, the Greens' co-leader Annalena Baerbock and Free Democrat leader Christian Lindner posted a picture of themselves with the Greens' co-leader Robert Habeck and the Free Democrats' general secretary Volker Wissing.

"In the search for a new government, we are sounding out common ground and bridges over things that divide us－and even finding some," the posts read. "Exciting times."

They did not say how or when they will proceed or give any other details. The Social Democrats have said they would like to start exploratory talks as early as this week.

'Bad-tempered'

The only other combination of parties that would have a majority in parliament is a repeat of the "often bad-tempered" outgoing grand coalition of the two big parties, which neither of them wants, AP said.

Scholz said on Monday that he wants a new government before Christmas if possible.

Laschet's Christian Democratic Union-Christian Social Union conservative alliance brought home 24.1 percent in Sunday's election, behind Scholz's Social Democrats with 25.7 percent.

Sunday's result was the first time that the CDU and the CSU, a dominant force in German politics since World War II, have scored under 30 percent in a general election.

The Financial Times said Germany's political compass had splintered, with the diminishing size of the collective centrist vote apparent.

Though Laschet admitted he could not be satisfied with the election result, he also claimed no party－not even the Social Democrats－could claim a mandate to govern from Sunday's vote outcome.

However, key Bavarian allies of Merkel's party conceded on Tuesday that Scholz has the best chance of becoming the next chancellor.

After huddling for the first meeting of its newly elected members of Parliament on Tuesday, the Bavarian CSU pulled the rug out from under Laschet by declaring the SPD should be the first in the queue to form the next government.

"The SPD is not too far ahead, but it is ahead of the (conservative bloc)," said Alexander Dobrindt, parliamentary leader of the CSU, adding that the bloc should therefore expect that other parties "are talking to the SPD first".

Meanwhile, calls were growing louder on Tuesday for Laschet to admit defeat and resign, even from within his own party.

Agencies and Earle Gale in London contributed to this story.