Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democrats, has ruled out a coalition with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which finished second in last week's elections. View on euronew

Conservative and center-left parties launch coalition talks on Friday. hoping to avoid prolonging Germany’s post-election uncertainty.

German conservative leader Friedrich Merz says he wants to form a government as soon as possible after his CDU/CSU bloc emerged as the clear winner in Sunday's early elections. Merz, speaking in Berlin after consultations with senior members of his Christian Democrats (CDU),

Such talks often drag on for weeks if not months in Germany, but Merz is in a hurry to reach a deal with Europe's biggest economy facing economic malaise and an upheaval in relations with the U.S.