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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 22 november 2017

Germany’s Merkel looks to future despite coalition chaos

ness Free Democrats who so many voted for other suming that other parties
walked out of coalition talks parties or stayed home, he can’t be persuaded to ne-
and the Social Democrats added. gotiate a coalition, would
who have refused even to “The Union knows very be an unprecedented mi-
contemplate them. well that switching to an- nority government. Merkel
“She is not really being other person now, in this says she doesn’t want that.
called into question,” said awkward situation, is not “I don’t have a minority
Thorsten Faas, a political an alternative,” Faas said. government in my plans,”
science professor at Berlin’s “What can happen to her? she said Monday. “I don’t
Free University. The poor For now, she stays in office want to say never today,
election result in part re- (and) she can be compar- but I am very skeptical and
flected the fact that “it was atively relaxed about new I think that new elections
clear to voters that Merkel elections.” would then be the better
would remain chancellor,” The only other option, as- way.”q

German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends a plenary session of
German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017.
(AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

By GEIR MOULSON an uphill struggle to rebuild
Associated Press support.
BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor While hardly helpful, the
Angela Merkel’s chances result hasn’t yet triggered
of cobbling together a gov- any serious questioning
ernment in Germany’s cur- of Merkel’s position inside
rent parliament look slim. the party. After 12 years
But the long-time leader is as chancellor and 17 as
already signaling that she her Christian Democratic
will run in any new election Union’s leader, the 63-year-
and it appears far too early old still has no obvious suc-
to start writing Merkel off. cessor who could match
Merkel’s trademark calm her broad party support
was on display hours after and appeal to a wide pub-
coalition talks collapsed. lic, or indeed who is pre-
She brushed aside sugges- pared yet to make a move
tions that she was a lame against her.
duck, telling ARD television “Merkel has not suffered
that she was “a woman yet,” because she has
who has responsibility and “stayed true to her style
is ready to continue tak- of politics,” said Manfred
ing responsibility.” Her pre- Guellner, the head of the
election commitment to Forsa polling agency.
serve another four years Over the years, Merkel has
stands, she added. won widespread accep-
Merkel has good reasons tance, though not neces-
not to be too worried about sarily enthusiasm, with a
her future for now, despite combination of ideological
recent setbacks. flexibility, calm decision-
Germany’s Sept. 24 elec- making and personal mod-
tion wasn’t kind to Merkel’s esty. She has been able to
conservative Union bloc, overcome, or at least mud-
whose vote tally of 32.9 dle through, sticky patches
percent was its worst since — most recently, the after-
the first post-World War II math of her 2015 decision
election in 1949. But it was to allow in large numbers
still easily the biggest group of asylum-seekers.
— far ahead of challenger While it remains unclear
Martin Schulz’s center-left who will get the blame if
Social Democrats, whose Germans have to vote for
disastrous 20.5-percent the second time in a few
showing left them facing months, it was the pro-busi-