BERLIN, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Germany's exploratory coalition talks continued on Sunday as Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative bloc and business-friendly Free Democratic Party (FDP) struggled to create a framework for the so-called Jamaica coalition government, local media reported.
Talks have stalled as parties clash on migration and the environment, but the talks would be concluded by Sunday evening, with or without an agreement, German public broadcaster DW reported.
Jamaica coalition is a term in German politics describing a coalition government among the parties of Merkel's CDU/CSU bloc, FDP and the Green party.
The term refers to an association between the symbolic colors of the parties -- black for the CDU/CSU bloc, yellow for the business-friendly FDP, and green for Green Party -- and the colors of the national flag of Jamaica.
Although the CDU/CSU bloc received the most votes in Germany's national election on Sept. 24, its surprisingly low result (32.9 percent) meant that the conservatives needed the FDP (10.7 percent) and the Greens (8.9 percent) in order to represent over 50 percent of voters.
After four weeks of discussions, the parties are believed to remain far apart on the key issues of climate change, focused on the phasing out of coal, and immigration.
"Today is the last day of these exploratory talks. We must decide," CSU leader Horst Seehofer said on Sunday.
Pressure has been mounting on the four parties to reach a preliminary agreement and open official talks on the Jamaica coalition.
Senior CSU party official Alexander Dobrindt, who serves as transport minister in the outgoing cabinet, described the situation as "difficult".
"We'll stick with it," he said on Saturday. "If a chance [for the coalition] presents itself, we are ready to take it, but not at all costs."
For over a month, the conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the two other partners have been trying to decide whether they can form a viable coalition government.
A so-called Jamaica coalition has previously worked at the state level, but has never been attempted at the federal level, according to DW.
