Germany’s Free Democrats (FDP) said preparatory talks with the election-winning Social Democrats on Sunday were constructive.
However, the FDP, which is a potential power broker in negotiations to form a new coalition government, said they faced hindrances.
As Sunday’s election results were inconclusive, a period of coalition negotiations started and could last for months.
Larger parties who strive to take a parliamentary majority courted the FDP and the Greens.
Election polls show that most voters support the center-left SPD Party, who won the election, in coalition with FDP and the Greens.
However, the FDP has close ties with Chancellor Merkel’s conservative party.
“It’s clear there are hurdles,” said FDP General Secretary, Volker Wissing, after the talks with the SPD on Sunday.
“But it’s also clear that we are persistent to build a reform-oriented government that will advance our country,” he continued.
“We need a stable government that will tackle the things that haven’t finished yet,” Wissing concluded.
Both Wissing and Lars Klingbeil, the SPD General Secretary, described the negotiations as “constructive.”
Armin Laschet, the conservatives’ candidate, said he also wants to form a government.
Laschet bloc of Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) declined to a record low in the election.
However, the Bavarian CSU leader, Markus Soeder, undermined Laschet when he said the SPD would form a government.
“The CDU and CSU must clarify whether they really want to lead a government,” FDP leader Christian Lindner said.
FDP and the conservative party will have preparatory talks later on Sunday. The SPD and the Greens will meet too.
The Greens would favor the two smaller kingmakers to team up with the SPD.
After being in power since 2005, Merkel plans to step down once the parties form the new government.
