German parties reach deal for government to end Merkel era

By FRANK JORDANS and GEIR MOULSON
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — German center-left leader Olaf Scholz says three parties have reached a deal to form a new government that will end the era of longtime Chancellor Angela Merkel. Scholz said Wednesday he expects that members of the parties will give their blessing to the deal in the next 10 days. The center-left Social Democrats have been negotiating with the environmentalist Green party and the pro-business Free Democrats since narrowly winning a national election on Sept. 26. If party members sign off on it, the three-way alliance will replace the current “grand coalition” of the country’s traditional big parties. The Social Democrats have served as the junior partner to Merkel’s center-right Christian Democrats.