BERLIN — Germany’s Greens softened their positions on energy and transportation in coalition talks, signaling a willingness to make tough compromises to build a government with Angela Merkel’s conservatives and the liberal Free Democrats.

Green party leaders dropped their insistence that Germany ban new fossil-fuel powered vehicles after 2030 and that the country switch off its remaining coal-burning power plants by that year.

“We’re prepared to compromise, but if this is going to work the others have to show the same willingness,” Anton Hofreiter, leader of the Greens’ parliamentary group, told German public television.

The Greens' move comes after three weeks of “exploratory” talks have failed to yield significant progress on forming a government following Germany's September 24 general election.

The parties remain far apart on the details of climate policy, migration and a host of other issues, raising serious doubts about whether they can reach a preliminary deal by a November 16 deadline set by the chancellor. The Free Democrats said Tuesday they would be willing to accept smaller income tax cuts than they called for in the campaign, but the move amounts to a minor concession considering the divisions between the parties in other areas.

While most observers and the actors themselves predicted difficult negotiations, the lack of progress has turned even some optimists into pessimists. The prospect of a new election, once considered remote, is now viewed as a real possibility.

The initial reactions to the Greens’ overture did little to dispel such predictions.

“Abandoning ridiculous deadlines does not amount to a compromise,” Alexander Dobrindt, a top negotiator for the Christian Social Union, the Bavarian sister party to Merkel’s Christian Democrats, told the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

However, the CSU has its own problems to deal with. Its influential youth wing demanded that party leader Horst Seehofer step down ahead of Bavaria's state election next year. The open revolt has undermined Seehofer’s position at the negotiating table, prompting questions over whether he has the backing of his party to negotiate a deal.

Merkel continues to insist that an agreement is possible, telling a meeting of her conservative party on Monday “I want a deal,” according to one person who was present.

Difficult climate

Yet the wrangling over climate issues illustrates just how difficult getting there will be. Even as the Greens backed away from their demand for a 2030 deadline for shutting off coal-fired plants, they continue to insist Germany meet its ambitious climate targets.

“What matters to us is not whether the last coal plant goes offline in 2030 or 2032,” Green co-leader Simone Peter told daily Rheinische Post. “What’s of crucial importance is reducing emissions.”

Germany has agreed to reduce carbon emissions by 40 percent over 1990 levels by 2020 — a target most experts believe the country will fail to meet.

Berlin’s decision to accelerate its withdrawal from nuclear power has left the country more reliant on coal-powered electricity production than it anticipated. Germany’s strong economy in recent years, which has led to an increase in energy consumption, has made the situation more acute.

The challenge for the Greens will be to find a compromise palatable to their own members, who will have to vote on any coalition pact before it can go forward.

Though none of the parties involved in the talks wants to ditch the climate goals altogether, the Free Democrats and many in the conservative camp want more flexibility and worry about damaging German industry. Critics of the Greens' approach argue that the 2020 goals are only mid-term targets and that what really counts is Germany’s 2050 goal to reduce emissions by 80-95 percent over 1990 levels.

The Greens’ decision to stop pushing for a firm date appears aimed at addressing those concerns. They’ve taken a similar approach to the future of the auto industry. While the party continues to insist Germany fundamentally shift course and embrace electric cars — a strategy that remains controversial in the country — it’s less rigid on the timing of the move.

“It’s clear to me that we cannot push through a 2030 end date for internal combustion engines,” Greens' co-leader Cem Özdemir said in an interview with the daily Stuttgarter Zeitung.

Instead, he said the party would push for “a clear commitment to do everything possible to ensure that the cars of the future are digital, automized and emission-free.”

The challenge for the Greens will be to find a compromise palatable to their own members, who will have to vote on any coalition pact before it can go forward.

Convincing the party’s rank-and-file to accept any deal that does hold the promise of significant progress in reducing emissions and meeting other climate goals will be nearly impossible.

“Without a clear signal that we’re moving in the right direction on coal to meet the climate goals for 2020 and 2030 … they can’t expect to win the support of their base for a coalition,” Christoph Bals, leader of the environmental group Germanwatch, told German radio.