German Chancellor Angela Merkel embarked on Sunday on talks with the center-left Social Democrats on forming a new Government, with leaders stressing the need for speed as they attempt to break an impasse more than three months after the country’s election.
Leaders aim to decide by Friday whether there’s enough common ground to move on to formal coalition negotiations. Whatever the result, it will be a while yet before a new administration is in place to end what is already post-World War II Germany’s longest effort to put together a new Government.