Exploratory coalition talks between the CDU, its Bavarian sister party the CSU, and the SPD will continue.

Despite traditionally being rivals and having governed together somewhat unhappily during former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s tenure, the two parties have agreed to try and form a coalition after the CDU ruled out working with the far-right Alternative for Germany. The CDU came first in Germany’s snap election on February 23 with 28.5% of the vote and the AfD second with 20%.

The SPD, the party of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, came third with a postwar-low of 16.4%. 

CDU leader and likely future chancellor Friedrich Merz is due to give a press conference in the afternoon. Press conferences are also expected from the environmentalist Green party, which tumbled in the polls, and the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP). The FDP pulled out of a governing coalition with the SPD and Greens in November over a budget dispute, and failed to gain the necessary 5% of the vote to enter the Bundestag.

The Left Party, which did surprisingly well in the federal election with 8.7% of the vote, will also hold a press conference, as will the SPD.