By Alexander Ratz

BERLIN (Reuters). Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD), began negotiations to form a government coalition. This was amid reports that their leader, who is the sole challenger for the leadership of the next government, had offered his resignation following a disappointing election result.

On Wednesday, the Greens and the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP), agreed to join the discussions with the center-left SPD. The SPD narrowly defeated outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives, but not winning a majority.

Unlike many other European countries, where the president or monarch invites one party leader to try to form a government, in Germany it is up to the parties https://reut.rs/3l7wtoM themselves to decide.

Norbert Walter Borjans (co-leader of SPD) said the three parties would work to resolve their differences, “one-by-one”, with a view towards forming a new coalition.

We don’t want talk about one another. Walter Borjans spoke out as he arrived to the talks, saying that they wanted to speak with one another. “I feel that we share common convictions. We want to make the country better.”

Merkel stated in Rome that the formation of a new alliance would be “certainly more rapid this time than when the government last was formed.”

After the federal elections in September 2017, the government took till March 2018 to get into office.

This time, Germany’s future political direction after 16 years of Merkel as the head, the appetite for shaping Europe’s biggest economy in the digital age, and its willingness to work with its allies to address global problems are at stake.

Both the Greens and FDP have kept in reserve the option of pursuing negotiations with the CDU/CSU conservative bloc, but they said on Wednesday https://reut.rs/3ldwc3I there would be no parallel talks for now.

While conservatives deal with the consequences of their worst ever election results, CDU leader Armin Lasschet (the bloc’s candidate to be chancellor) is fighting for his life.

Multiple German media reports that he offered his services to a replacement.

Participants who spoke to Reuters said that Laschet stated to conservative lawmakers that they needed a fresh start following its defeat in the election. This was something he wanted to moderate.

Laschet will give a statement around 6.30 p.m. local time (1630 GMT) just after which the SPD, Greens, and FDP should update their status on negotiations.

An SPD/Greens/FDP coalition already governs in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate, but such a formation would be a first at federal level in Germany.

Despite being very different in many policy areas, the FDP and Greens have worked together to reach common ground through bilateral negotiations.

Christian Lindner of the FDP said Wednesday that his party shares a more common policy with conservatives. He also shared with them “a mutual conviction about the need for renewal in the country”.

Robert Habeck, Greens leader and co-chairman told ZDF that Thursday’s meeting would be confidential because he believed there should be trust between the participants.