Pro-business party OKs formal talks on new German government

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s pro-business Free Democrats on Monday became the last of three parties to back the start of formal coalition talks on forming a new government. The Free Democrats leader, Christian Lindner, said the party’s national executive unanimously agreed to take the step following weeks of informal talks with the center-left Social Democrats and the environmentalist Greens. Lindner said the three parties hadn’t sought each other out ahead of the Sept. 26 election, “to put it diplomatically.” Lindner added that there remain “big differences on matters of substance” between the three parties but that this was a ”chance, though, to do good things for our country.” Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel will remain as a caretaker leader until the coalition government is in place.