The grand coalition of those who lost the election will make many people in this country losers as well.

We want to hold exploratory talks, but these are not coalition negotiations.

A grand coalition would be perceived negatively by the markets. It would be unlikely to push through any reforms because the parties hold contradictory positions and would neutralise each other.

The talks on forming a grand coalition are going back and forth and are unlikely to lead to a modernization of the German economy.

But in an American election, there are no losers, because whether or not our candidates are successful, the next morning we all wake up as Americans. And that -- that is the greatest privilege and the most remarkable good fortune that can come to us on earth.

A three-way alliance means the FDP would have to broadly reinvent itself. Opposition continues to be an option for us.