Germany’s conservative CDU/CSU bloc under chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz and the Social Democrats are set to start exploratory talks on a coalition on Friday, said people familiar with the matter.

German conservative leader Friedrich Merz, the country's presumptive next chancellor, is set to make a surprise visit to Paris to meet French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday, days after his CDU/CSU bloc secured victory in national elections.

Such talks often drag on for weeks if not months in Germany, but Merz is in a hurry to reach a deal with Europe's biggest economy facing economic malaise and an upheaval in relations with the U.S.