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CDU/CSU ready to form ruling coalition with Liberals and Greens, says party candidate

Armin Laschet also criticized the conservatives’ performance at the parliamentary elections in Germany as unsatisfactory, where they ceded first place to the Social Democratic Party of Germany

BERLIN, September 27. /TASS/. The conservative political bloc of the Christian Democratic and Christian Social Unions (CDU/CSU) is ready to form a ruling coalition with the Liberals and the Greens, CDU/CSU candidate for German chancellor Armin Laschet told a news conference on Monday.

"We are ready for negotiations on the so-called Jamaica coalition (CDU/CSU, the liberal Free Democratic Party and The Greens - TASS)," Laschet said. The candidate criticized the conservatives’ performance at the parliamentary elections in Germany as unsatisfactory, where they ceded first place to the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). "Of course, I know that am partially personally responsible for this election outcome," he admitted.

According to German election authorities, the Social Democratic Party received 206 out of the 735 seats in the Bundestag, while the bloc of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) and the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) got 196. That said, the Greens gained 118 seats, while the Free Democratic Party picked up 92, Alternative for Germany scooped up 83 and The Left clinched 39 seats.

Within the next few days, parties will begin preliminary negotiations on forming the government. The Liberals and the Greens are expected to be the first to go in negotiations.

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