Coalition talks in Germany: How can the Greens get together with the Liberals and Social Democrats?

With divergent platforms and a promise to have a new government before Christmas, the Social Democrats, Greens, and business-focused Free Democrats have their work cut out for them. Nearly a month after Germany’s federal election, official coalition talks finally got underway on Thursday. The leadership of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), business-focused Free Democrats (FDP), and the Greens met in Berlin in the hopes of forming a government as soon as possible. Olaf Scholz, the leader of the SPD and likely future chancellor, has promised a new government by Christmas, hoping to spare Germany the six months of protracted coalition negotiations that went on after the last election in 2017.