MOSCOW, September 29. /TASS/. The loser candidate for Germany's chancellorship from the conservative bloc Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union, Armin Laschet, has congratulated the leader or the Social Democratic Party's list, Olaf Scholz, upon election success, the France Presse news agency has quoted sources in the party as saying.
According to the same sources, despite the congratulations the conservatives' candidate still wishes to form a coalition government with the Free Democratic Party and the Bundestag election winner SDP.
Earlier, the Liberals' leader Volker Wissing said the Free Democratic Party would like to hold preliminary negotiations with the CDU/CSU on Saturday, and with the election winner SDP on Sunday. Germany's future coalition is likely to incorporate three parties. Possibly, the Liberals and Greens will be present in the government in the capacity of junior parties. Either the SDP or the CDU/CSU will nominate a candidate for the chancellor's office.
It took Laschet sometime to recognize his loss and congratulate the leader of the SDP list Scholz. At first, he acknowledged that he conservatives "placed second," but at the same time pointed out that the lagging behind was insignificant and speculated that as well as the SDP, his party might address others with a proposal for creating a coalition, for which he drew criticism from both politicians and observers.
In the September 26 Bundestag elections the Social Democratic Party (SDP) emerged the winner with 25.7%, while the conservative bloc CDU/CSU received 24.1% of the votes, which was its worst result ever. The liberal Free Democratic Party received 11.5% of the votes, and the Greens, 14.8%. The Left Party, with its 4.9% will have a representation in the Bundestag thanks to three direct mandates.