Bavarian state premier and leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU) Markus Soeder speaks next to Friedrich Merz, Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting and leader of the Christian Democratic Union party CDU, and Social Democratic party (SPD) co-leaders Saskia Esken and Lars Klingbeil as they give a statement after coalition talks, in Berlin, Germany, March 4, 2025. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner