(L to R) Hesse's State Premier Volker Bouffier, Federal co-chairwoman of the Greens Simone Peter, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, German Chief of Staff Peter Altmaier, co-leaders of the Green Party Katrin Goering-Eckardt and Cem Ozdemir stand on the balcony before talks of potential coalition partners in Berlin.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (c) greets members of the leadership of the Green party including Katrin Goering-Eckardt (2nd R) and Cem Ozdemir (R) with her colleagues Thomas Kreuzer (2nd L) of the CSU and Hesse's State Premier Volker Bouffier (L) before the talks of potential coalition partners in Berlin.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel of the Christian Democrats party (L) greats co-leaders of Germany's Greens Party Cem Ozdemir (2R) and Katrin Goering-Eckardt next to Minister of the Interior of the state of Bavaria Joachim Herrmann (2L) as they meet to prepare exploratory talks of a potential coalition in Berlin.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel of the Christian Democrats party (3L) waves from the balcony next to Hesse's State Premier Volker Bouffier, Federal co-chairwoman of the Greens Simone Peter (2L), German Chief of Staff Peter Altmaier (3R), co-leaders of Germany's Greens Party Katrin Goering-Eckardt (2R) and Cem Ozdemir (R) as they meet to prepare exploratory talks of a potential coalition in Berlin.