Greens leaders deny any interest in forming a coalition with the Christian Democrats, but voting patterns and shared views on a surprising number of key policies may push both sides to break a taboo and form a ruling coalition after elections next year.
Having shared power with the Social Democrats (SPD) from 1998 to 2005, the Greens long ago dropped their outsider image and are keen to return to power. A coalition with the main centre-left party would seem once again to be the natural fit.
But, with the SPD losing votes to the Greens and Merkel's Free Democrats (FDP) coalition partner likely to exit parliament entirely, a "black-green" coalition could suit both parties - although neither is saying so, for fear of alienating their core supporters.
The parties hold similar positions on fiscal discipline, the need for more eurozone integration and energy policy, now that the CDU has agreed to scrap nuclear power by 2022. Talk of a black-green coalition erupted this week after the Greens unexpectedly picked a moderate pragmatist, Katrin Goering-Eckardt, as one of their two lead candidates for 2013.
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