berlin lead candidate germany next finance minister signal willingness thursday seek compromise emmanuel macron french president plan deep euro zone integration christian lindner lead free democrats fdp party negotiate part chancellor angela merkel next coalition government say european policy one important topics talk lindner say macron last month call joint euro zone budget joint finance minister among reform describe political progress question find balance carrots stick let take literally european question lindner say book launch mean want get something accept things example insolvency mechanism state example bind participation private investors debt restructure necessary say would bitter thing would swallow get something sweet namely additional fund investments lindner say veteran outgo finance minister wolfgang schaeuble wary anything might leave german taxpayers shoulder common euro zone debts generally lukewarm macron reform plan lindner may succeed three-way coalition merkel try form conservatives lose support federal election last month widely speculate fdp would demand top finance post price join though lindner thursday stop short claim ministry party early week insist merkel christian democrats cdu relinquish lindner repeatedly criticise schaeuble fiscal hawk soft greece put loyalty merkel ahead political convictions ask characteristics next german finance minister lindner say consistent head germany 's fdp offer macron 'bittersweet euro zone deal