title: German president to meet party leaders on Thursday
text: BERLIN (Reuters) - German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the head of Bavaria s conservatives, and the leader of the center Social Democrats (SPD) on Thursday, his office said on Friday. Steinmeier played a central role in encouraging the SPD to reverse its pledge to go into opposition. Thursday s meeting will include Merkel, SPD leader Martin Schulz and Horst Seehofer, leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the sister party to Merkel s Christian Democrats (CDU). Schulz on Friday announced his center party would help form a new government led by Merkel to avert a disruptive repeat election in Europe s economic and political powerhouse, but said party members would have the final say on any deal. 