Germany's conservatives, who won elections last weekend, are set to start exploratory talks with the Social Democrats on Friday towards forming a coalition government, party sources said. - Grand coalition - The make-up of the incoming Bundestag leaves a coalition between the conservatives and the Social Democrats as the only politically feasible option to form a government.

For the SPD, party leaders Lars Klingbeil and Saskia Esken will sit at the table, as well as Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Labor Minister Hubertus Heil. Also on the SPD negotiating team: Secretary General Matthias Miersch,

Germany's conservative leader Friedrich Merz, who came out on top in the snap election results, is aiming to close a coalition agreement with outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz's SPD, which came third in the elections.