(ANSA) - BERLIN - The leaders of the Union parties (CDU-CSU) and SPD have agreed to overcome the obstacles that have hindered for weeks the negotiations to reshape the Grosse-Koalition: taxes and migrants. An agreement was reached not to increase the maximum tax rate, as requested by the SPD, and to allow family reunification of migrants at the rate of 1,000 people per month. The leadership of the Union parties (CDU-CSU) and SPD - DPA reported, citing sources inside the negotiators - reached an agreement on health insurance.

From now on, the country returns to the system whereby insurance healthcare contributions will be shared equally between employer and employee. This was one of the issues under discussion in the last hours of negotiations. Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni on Friday welcomed the breakthrough in talks between German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrat (CDU) party and Martin Schulz's Social Democrats (SPD) on forming a new coalition government. "The agreement between Merkel and Schulz lays down the foundations for a coalition government in Germany," Gentiloni said via Twitter. "Good news for Europe". (ANSA).