Acting German chancellor Angela Merkel address a news conference at the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party headquarters in Berlin, Germany, December 18, 2017. Credit: Reuters/Hannibal HanschkeBerlin: More than three months after a German election, chancellor Angela Merkel is still scrambling to form a new government and will on Sunday launch a five-day attempt to persuade the Social Democrats (SPD) to join a coalition with her conservatives.The SPD reluctantly agreed to exploratory talks and is playing hard-to-get. Enticing them to team up with her is Merkel‘s best bet of forming a stable government and extending her 12-year tenure after her efforts to form an alliance with two smaller parties failed last year.The SPD, which has governed in a ‘grand coalition’ with Merkel‘s conservatives for the last four years, vowed to go into opposition after its worst election showing since 1933 but reconsidered when the president intervened.Opposition to such a tie-up is strong in the SPD – a group called “NoGroKo”, meaning “no grand coalition”, has formed within its ranks to campaign against working with Merkel again, saying that would cost the SPD votes and make the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) opposition leader.“We shouldn’t make things sound better than they are – the SPD is very sceptical about a re-run of the grand coalition,” senior SPD member Manuela Schwesig said in an interview with Deutschlandfunk radio.Norbert Roemer, SPD head in the regional assembly of North Rhine-Westphalia, told the RND newspaper group no MPs in his state caucus favoured a grand coalition – unlike four years ago – with past experience meaning they no longer trusted Merkel.The grand coalition idea – usually a last resort as it leaves the opposition small – is unpopular, with a poll for broadcaster ARD showing more than half of Germans (52%) are sceptical while 45% are in favour.The parties will likely clash on immigration, tax, healthcare and Europe. Volker Bouffier, a senior member of Merkel‘s Christian Democrats (CDU), told Rheinische Post newspaper his party intended to form a grand coalition.But he added: “Whether that will succeed is yet to be seen. It can’t happen at any price.”SPD parliamentary leader Andrea Nahles sounded a conciliatory note, saying she would not draw any red lines ahead of the talks, telling Bild am Sonntag newspaper: “Negotiations mean you don’t get 100% of your own demands fulfilled.”If the talks prove successful, a new government will likely be in place by Easter, she said.Horst Seehofer, leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU) – Bavarian sister party to Merkel‘s CDU – said he was optimistic the parties would agree to govern together, saying: “I think we’ll manage it.”The potential partners have agreed on a news blackout during exploratory talks, which are due to finish on Thursday. If they find enough common ground and the SPD gets backing from its members in a vote, the parties will proceed to full-blown coalition talks.But if the discussions fail, Europe’s largest economy could either face fresh elections or, for the first time in the postwar era, a minority government under Merkel.Last year’s failed coalition talks involved Merkel‘s conservative bloc, the pro-business Free Democrats and the Greens.(Reuters)