Explainer: What's next for German politics as new Bundestag meets?

A general view ahead of the inaugural session of the German lower house of Parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, October 26, 2021. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's new lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, met for the first time on Tuesday following a federal election last month.

Here's an overview of why it is meeting now, before a government has been formed, and what happens next.