The SPD, Greens and FDP want to form a new federal government by the beginning of December.

This was announced by representatives of the three parties in Berlin on Thursday at the start of the formal coalition negotiations.

"We are all looking forward to it, the mood is good and we know what responsibility we have," said SPD General Secretary Lars Klingbeil.

The three parties had "intensively prepared" the coalition negotiations in the exploratory talks of the past few days.

Kim Bjorn Becker

Editor in politics.

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The three parties will vote on the contents of the coalition agreement from next Wednesday in 22 working groups.

They should have finished their talks by November 10th and prepare appropriate papers, said Klingbeil.

These papers are intended to form the basis for the subsequent main round of negotiations.

The General Secretary of the FDP, Volker Wissing, spoke of the fact that the explorations had "given me courage".

We have been able to remove some hurdles, said Wissing.

"We want to have a contract by the end of November."

"That is ambitious and ambitious, want to show the ability to act," said Wissing.

The political director of the Greens, Michael Kellner, said that the coalition partners were "well prepared" for the new phase of the negotiations.

The talks are "a complex undertaking".

The goal of forming a government before Christmas has now become St. Nicholas Week.

Kellner spoke of a “good, confidential cooperation” and promised that the coalition negotiations “will succeed”.