Germany's CDU and SPD hold preliminary coalition talks
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-09-25 12:04

Germany's conservatives and social democrats reportedly are to hold preliminary talks ahead of Wednesday's second round negotiations a coalition partnership for government, AFP reported.

Two representatives from each party will attend the talks, designed to allow Wednesday's meeting to address the key issues in more concrete detail, the DPA news agency reported.

The Secretary General of the Christian Democrats (CDU) Volker Kauder and the associated CSU party leader in the Bavarian regional government, Erwin Huber, will represent the conservatives at the preliminary session.

The social democrats (SPD) will send Kajo Wasserhovel, close to the president of the party, along with the head of the Chancellor's office, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, to refine their position.

According to Sunday's edition of the Bild am Sonntag newspaper, Wednesday's negotiations will address the issues of social and fiscal reform, over which the two camps differ fundamentally.

Wednesday's discussions will see five delegates from each side make their case while trying to find a way to form a grand coalition between the social democrats and conservatives, now the most likely make-up of a future government.

After their meeting on Thursday, the outgoing chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (SPD) and his conservative rival Angela Merkel (CDU) both continued to claim the chancellorship after close-run parliamentary elections on September 18 gave neither party a ruling majority.

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