Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting and leader of the Christian Democratic Union party (CDU) Friedrich Merz, Christian Social Union (CSU) leader and Bavarian Premier Markus Soeder, co-leaders of the Social Democratic party (SPD) Saskia Esken and Lars Klingbeil pose for pictures as they attend a press conference after reaching an agreement on their coalition government in Berlin, Germany, April 9, 2025. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch