Leaders of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) will not appear at traditional events to mark Ash Wednesday as they focus on negotiations to form a government in Berlin. The SPD is "prepared to negotiate and talk all week,

Germany’s conservatives and the Social Democrats agreed to deepen talks over forming a new government, a step forward as pressure builds on Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz to implement sweeping reforms.

The German parties negotiating the country's new government have reached an agreement in their exploratory talks and concluded the discussions, conservative bloc leader Friedrich Merz said on Saturday.