German election winner Friedrich Merz's conservatives and the Social Democrats (SPD) have concluded preliminary talks on forming a coalition government. The parties promised to take strong measures against illegal migration, support German industry, and boost the economy, according to their joint statement on Saturday.

Merz, the chancellor-in-waiting, aims to form a coalition by Easter, which falls on April 20 this year. He has warned it was "five minutes to midnight" for Europe to defend itself against Russia, with the United States under President Donald Trump no longer viewed as a reliable ally.

Both parties are racing to reach a deal before next week. They hope to push through a loosening of Germany's borrowing limits in parliament to revive growth in Europe's largest economy and increase military spending. "There is an enormous urgency, especially with regard to the Bundeswehr budget," Merz stated.

The conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the SPD have negotiated over issues such as migration and welfare payments after a difficult election campaign. Merz promised tougher measures to tackle illegal migration, acting together with other European Union members. He also said Germany should target 1-2% economic growth and lower energy costs for businesses.

Merz outlined specific plans for border control: "In coordination with our European neighbors, we will reject people at our shared borders, including asylum seekers. We want to take all legal measures to reduce irregular migration overall. We will massively expand border controls from the first day of our joint government."

The coalition talks reflect changes in Germany's political landscape, where:

• The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has become the country's second-largest party
• Germany's economy has contracted for two consecutive years
• The German car industry has struggled to maintain competitiveness
• Military spending has gained urgency due to security concerns

Attention now turns to the outgoing parliament, where lawmakers will debate a €500 billion infrastructure fund and changes to state borrowing rules known as the "debt brake" from March 13. The Bundestag will vote on these measures on March 18, before the new parliament forms on March 25.

The German coalition talks occur as France faces its own political challenges. French President Macron recently delivered an address focused on Russian threats, yet provided minimal concrete support for Ukraine. France has contributed only €4.8 billion to Ukraine's defense, less than Poland, Sweden, and Denmark, despite strong rhetoric about European security.