1st LD-Writethru: German parties to start talks for new gov't on Jan. 7

BERLIN, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) and the Conservatives Union announced on Wednesday that they will hold exploratory talks for government formation from Jan. 7 to 12, according to local media.

The decision was announced after lengthy deliberation among SPD chairman Martin Schulz, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) head Chancellor Angela Merkel and Horst Seehofer, head of CDU's Bavarian sister Christian Social Union, and other senior officials from the three parties, Focus Online said.

"It was a good conversation in a trusting atmosphere and we agreed on the further procedure of sounding out," the three parties said in a joint statement after the meeting.

Party leaders agreed to discuss 15 topics, including finance/taxes, business, energy, family and migration, integration and others.

The statement also noticed that a report of exploratory talks will be presented on Jan. 12, which will be discussed by every party.

Germany is now in a vacancy of new government since the Sept. 24 federal elections, the longest period ever since 1949.

The exploratory talks between SPD and the Union came after the breakdown of the talks between Union, the Free Democratic Party and the Greens in late November, mainly on issues of migration and energy.

The SPD, which rejected to form a new grand coalition with the Union after a landslide loss in federal elections, changed its stance after increasing social pressure on it. Enditem