Merz aims for swift coalition agreement with SPD following German election

Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), aims to quickly finalize a coalition with the Social Democratic Party (SPD) following the recent election. He expects talks to intensify in the coming days, focusing on key issues like defense spending. The SPD has indicated it will negotiate firmly, especially regarding the CDU's stance on the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Merz has ruled out collaboration with the AfD, but the SPD seeks assurances on this before agreeing to a coalition. The election results show the CDU/CSU coalition leading with 28.6% of the vote, followed by the AfD at 20.8%. The SPD received 16.4%, while the Greens and Left Party garnered 11.6% and 8.8%, respectively.