The CSU chairman Markus Söder assessed the decision of the Greens and FDP to hold three-way talks with the SPD differently than the CDU chairman Armin Laschet - namely as a “de facto rejection of Jamaica”.

"Today is the signal for the preliminary decision, which must be recognized," said Söder on Wednesday in Munich.

At the same time, in Düsseldorf, Laschet expressed the willingness of the Union to hold further talks.

"We are ready," he said after the Greens and FDP had committed to explorations with the SPD.

The decision on the order of the exploratory talks lies with the two parties, said Laschet.

Anna-Lena Ripperger

Editor in politics.

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Söder, on the other hand, said that a traffic light coalition made up of the SPD, Greens and FDP was now “the clear number one”.

Free Democrats and Greens had opted for the traffic light route, which "they now have to follow consistently," said the Bavarian Prime Minister.

"We expressly regret the decision," said Söder.

He also exchanged ideas with Laschet on the phone.

The CSU boss said he was still convinced that a Jamaica alliance made up of the CDU, FDP and the Greens would have been a good chance to modernize the country.

"It would have been worthwhile to tackle such a project."

"You could have kept it open"

With regard to the Greens and the FDP, Söder said: “You could have decided differently”.

It would also have been possible to meet three people in one constellation and three in the other.

"It could have been kept open." There was a small chance in Jamaica, he added.

But now you have to recognize the reality and respect the decision of the voters, said the CSU chairman.

It is very likely that there will be a government without the Union.

If the Union ends up in the opposition, the CSU will act constructively and “always for the good of the whole country,” announced Söder.

But it is now also a matter of "self-respect and dignity," said the CSU boss.

"We remain ready to talk, but not in a kind of permanent wait position," he emphasized.

The Union is not only "the spare wheel and only there to almost always generate a certain amount of pressure in the negotiations".

Trouble with piercing

Söder left questions about the political future of the CDU and CSU's joint chancellor candidate, Armin Laschet, unanswered.

"Questions that concern the CDU must be discussed by the CDU." However, he emphasized that he had harmonized well with Laschet in the preliminary rounds.

Agreements between the two party leaders would have worked very well.

Piercing the Bild newspaper had recently burdened the talks between the parties.

The newspaper had reported on details from both the Union's exploratory talks with the FDP and those with the Greens.

The FDP and the Greens criticized this and gave the CDU and CSU responsibility for it.