Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) said on Wednesday they had agreed to start talks on a possible coalition with Friedrich Merz's conservatives but stressed their support was not automatic and hit out at his negotiating style.

Social Democratic Party co-leader Klingbeil expects conservative chief Merz to change 'course and tone' before talks to form potential coalition government

Germany's Social Democratic Party faces a lack of leadership following its defeat on February 23, having garnered only 16.5% of the vote, its worst score since 1945.

Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz has opened talks with the Social Democrats over ways to quickly ramp up defense spending before they’ve completed a formal coalition deal, according to people familiar with those discussions.

German conservative leader Friedrich Merz is almost certain to become chancellor, but first he needs to win over the Social Democrats, setting up tense negotiations to bridge their differences in areas like government borrowing and welfare spending.

Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) on Wednesday elected Lars Klingbeil as leader of its parliamentary group, cementing his position as the party seeks to recover from a historic election defeat to join Friedrich Merz's conservatives in government.

The centre-right party's leader Friedrich Merz said CDU and SPD are to enter talks to form a coalition, one day after the German election on Sunday. View on euronews

Conservative leader Friedrich Merz says he aiming to close a coalition agreement with the SPD in a "short time." Meanwhile, talks are ongoing on how to increase defense spending. DW has the latest.