German parties aim for deal on new government next week

By GEIR MOULSON
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Three German parties say that they hope to clinch a deal next week to form a new government. That would keep center-left leader Olaf Scholz on track to become Germany’s new leader in early December. Scholz’s Social Democrats narrowly won the country’s national election in late September. Talks on a coalition with the environmentalist Greens and the business-friendly Free Democrats opened last month. If they are successful, the new alliance will send outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right Union bloc into opposition. The general secretary of the Greens said Tuesday that the parties hope to have parliament elect Scholz as Merkel’s successor during the week that starts Dec. 6.