BERLIN, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The three-party exploratory talks for the formation of Germany's new government failed late Sunday night after the Free Democratic Party (FDP) pulled out due to unbridgeable differences.
If the FDP refuses to rejoin the talks, German Chancellor Angela Merkel may have to form a minority coalition or hold a new election.
FDP leader Christian Lindner said after the decision that there was no "basis of trust" with Merkel's bloc of CDU (Christian Democratic Union) and CSU (Christian Social Union in Bavaria) and the Green Party.
"We don't blame anyone for sticking to their principles. But we also do so ourselves. We were voted to reverse the current trends, but we couldn't reach an agreement. It is better not to govern than to govern badly," Lindner said on Twitter.
Although Merkel's bloc received the most votes in Germany's federal election on Sept. 24, it only got 32.9 percent of the vote, meaning that the conservatives need the FDP (10.7 percent) and the Greens (8.9 percent) to represent over 50 percent of voters.
