German SPD agrees to talks with conservatives, outcome open: Schulz

Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) have agreed to exploratory talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, SPD leader Martin Schulz said, though the process would not automatically result in an agreement to form a new ruling coalition.

Schulz told reporters that Germany needed a new governance culture and that any agreement to govern with conservatives would require changes from the conservative-SPD 'grand coalition' that ruled Germany for the past four years.

He said exploratory talks would begin next month, with a party congress penciled in for Jan. 14 to consider a possible return to the two-way coalition. He said a minority government or other options remained possible.