Leaders of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) will not appear at traditional events to mark Ash Wednesday as they focus on negotiations to form a government in Berlin. The SPD is "prepared to negotiate and talk all week,

Germany’s conservative CDU/CSU bloc under chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz and the Social Democrats are set to start exploratory talks on a coalition on Friday, said people familiar with the matter.

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.