Social Democrats may send new team to negotiating table

The Prime Minister said his ruling Social Democratic Party was ready to go back to the negotiating table to try to reach agreement on the formation of a new pro-European government, but that it would accept no ultimatums from the smaller parties. Mr. Gross said that after the failure of the preceding round of talks, the Social Democrat leadership might decide to send a different team of negotiators to the coalition talks. He did not specify who would represent the party.

A fragile coalition deal on a new government collapsed only hours after being clinched last Thursday, when it was rejected by the Social Democratic Party leadership. Opponents to the agreement said the party's negotiators had overstepped their mandate and been overly generous in concessions made to the two smaller coalition parties.

The parties in question -the Christian Democrats and Freedom Union - have said they are prepared to go back to the negotiating table on condition that the talks are based on the fundamental points agreed on last week.