Talks between the top German parties on forming a new government for Chancellor Angela Merkel's fourth term spilled into overtime today but confidence appeared to be growing they would strike a deal. More than four months after Germany's general election, marathon weekend negotiations failed to yield the desired breakthrough on all outstanding differences. <br/><br/>However both sides sounded upbeat about the chance for an agreement by a self-imposed Tuesday deadline. As the parties returned to the negotiating table, a deputy leader of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), Volker Bouffier, admitted the talks could drag on until early tomorrow to iron out the final kinks. <br/><br/>Europe's top economic power has been locked in political limbo since an inconclusive general election in September. Although Merkel and the CDU came out on top, they failed to secure a ruling majority, leading to the longest coalition negotiations in postwar history