Talks on German coalition govt to start next week if SPD members back plan – Schulz

Germany’s SPD leader Martin Schulz said on Monday that talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives about forming a government could start next week. However, the party members should give the go-ahead at the SPD congress later this week. “We’ll explore whether and how the formation of a government is possible in Germany,” Schulz said, according to Reuters. The SPD leadership has agreed to recommend to its members to enter talks with the conservatives, Schulz said.