The Christian Democratic Union Announced It Will Ally With the Left to Govern

Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and likely next chancellor of Germany, announced on Monday his intention to form a coalition with the left-wing Social Democratic Party (SPD) following his party's victory in the general elections.

Despite being voted in to remove the left from power, Merz emphasized that he will initiate talks with the Social Democrats in the coming days.

In a press conference, Merz highlighted that the combination of seats from the CDU/CSU and the SPD would total 328 seats out of 630 in the Bundestag, allowing them to form a stable government. "We want a black-red coalition and we're prepared to work on it starting today," declared the conservative leader.

The leader stated he has the full support of the CDU executive committee to move forward with this alliance and announced that in the coming hours he will meet with the SPD leaders, Lars Klingbeil and Saskia Esken, as well as the current chancellor Olaf Scholz to coordinate an orderly transition.

Merz emphasized that the negotiations will focus on three major priorities: Europe's security and defense, immigration, and Germany's economic situation.

Regarding security, he stressed the need to strengthen European defense in light of recent statements from Washington. "We must organize quickly to ensure our own defense capability," he stated.

On immigration, Merz recalled that his party had already proposed legislation to combat illegal immigration and expressed his desire to discuss concrete measures in this area with the SPD.

Additionally, he warned about the danger of a third consecutive recession in Germany, highlighting the urgency of making decisions to reactivate the country's industry and economy.

Merz also spoke about the electoral growth of Alternative for Germany (AfD), which consolidated as the main opposition force by obtaining 20.8% of the votes. "The advance of the AfD is a final warning for democratic parties to work together and offer concrete solutions to citizens," he noted.

Finally, the CDU leader set the goal of having the new government up and running by Easter, ensuring that "Germany needs a strong and functional executive as soon as possible, because the world doesn't wait for us."