German parties resume talks on coalition as deadline missed

Negotiators for German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) reconvened on Monday. They are seeking compromises on healthcare and labor policy, the stumbling blocks in the way of another “grand coalition,” Reuters reports. The parties missed a self-imposed Sunday deadline to clinch a deal on renewing the coalition that has governed since 2013. However, both sides cited progress and said the remaining differences did not appear insurmountable. The Rheinische Post newspaper, citing an internal SPD schedule, said that Merkel, the leader of her Bavarian allies Horst Seehofer and SPD chief Martin Schulz wanted to present a final coalition agreement on Tuesday.