Three mainstream parties reached a deal on Thursday to form a new centrist Austrian government, two weeks after a far-right party that won an election in September failed to put together an administration.

Friedrich Merz, Germany's chancellor-in-waiting and leader of the Christian Democratic Union party CDU, looks on, on the day they give a statement after coalition talks, in Berlin, Germany, March 4, 2025.

Friedrich Merz promised tougher measures to tackle illegal migration, including by turning away people at Germany's borders and expanding border controls, promising to act along with other EU members.

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) have agreed on a framework document for further negotiations on forming a government, according to Der Spiegel. Less than two weeks after the early elections to the Bundestag,

Election winner Friedrich Merz's conservative CDU, its Bavarian sister party CSU, and the Social Democrats (SPD) have taken a major step toward forming a coalition government, the heads of the parties said.

According to Friedrich Merz, his conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the Social Democratic Party leaders agreed on common principles on migration and the economy. View on euronews

The leaders of Germany's conservative bloc and the Social Democrats (SPD) have announced media statements for 3 pm (1400 GMT) on Saturday, raising hopes of a breakthrough in their preliminary talks on forming a new coalition government.