German FDP says coalition talks with Greens held in “good atmosphere”

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s Greens and business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) held a second round of exploratory coalition talks on Friday in a good atmosphere that allowed them to focus on policy content, they said.

“The process began today in a good atmosphere, but it has not finished,” FDP leader Christian Lindner told reporters, standing next to Greens co-leaders Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck, who said: “We have built up a culture of conversation with each other that makes a factual discussion possible.”

Habeck added that the smaller “kingmaker” parties would next each meet the larger Social Democrats and conservatives, and “then we will see what kind of dynamic unfolds in the coming days, or perhaps weeks.”

(Writing by Paul Carrel, editing by Thomas Escritt)