German conservative leader Angela Merkel welcomed as positive talks on Wednesday to forge a power-sharing coalition with Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democrats (SPD) despite no agreement on who will be chancellor.
"Constructive, serious," Merkel told reporters after a meeting with Schroeder and SPD chief Franz Muentefering. "And when you think how we spoke with and against each other 14 days ago in the election campaign, I would have thought it almost impossible, but there is a great seriousness there to find a way as to whether we can forge a coalition together."
Her Christian Social Union (CSU) ally Edmund Stoiber said the centre-right Christian Democrat/CSU and centre-left SPD should be able to form a coalition if Schroeder relinquished his claim on the chancellory.
Germany's electorate voted Schroeder's SPD-Greens government out of office in a federal election on September 18, but failed to give the centre-right a majority, forcing Germany's two largest parties to discuss the possibility of governing together.
Schroeder also expressed optimism that a power-sharing deal could be reached. "I assume we can succeed and will succeed in forming a stable constellation that will keep Germany on its reform course for four years and continue this reform course and if necessary amend it."