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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 26 sepTember 2017

Germany:

Merkel faces thorny task in building new government

of minority governments, many gets a good, stable Still, the election results
and Merkel has made clear government,” she told re- left no other party besides
she doesn’t want to go that porters at a subdued news Merkel’s bloc able to lead
route. It would be a tall or- conference in Berlin. “All a new government, and
der anyway, as her bloc parties ... have a responsi- Merkel herself lacks an ob-
only holds 246 of the new bility that we get a stable vious internal challenger.
parliament’s 709 seats. government.” She dismissed the idea of
The most politically plau- Merkel will have to bridge seeking a new election.
sible option is a three-way differences between Merkel’s campaign fo-
coalition with the pro-busi- the Free Democrats and cused squarely on her 12
ness Free Democrats and Greens. The parties have years’ experience leading
the traditionally left-leaning a tradition of mutual suspi- Germany through a period
Greens. The combination, cion as well as differences of international turmoil, but
called a “Jamaica” coali- on issues including environ- offered few ideas for the
tion because the parties’ mental policy, European future.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel ponders during a press
conference after a board meeting of the Christian Democratic colors match those of the financial policy and the “I can’t see what we should
Union CDU in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Sept. 25, 2017, the day Caribbean nation’s flag, auto industry’s future. have done differently,”
after the German parliament election. hasn’t been tried before in Merkel also faces pressure Merkel said. “I thought this
(AP Photo/Michael Sohn) a national government. from conservative allies for campaign through well.”
By GEIR MOULSON ing Germany wouldn’t Merkel said Monday she an effective response to Oskar Niedermayer, a po-
Associated Press again face the humanitar- will seek talks with the two the third-place finish of the litical science professor at
BERLIN (AP) — German ian crisis that let to it. parties, as well as with the nationalist Alternative for Berlin’s Free University, said
Chancellor Angela Merkel Merkel conceded that it Social Democrats. There’s Germany, or AfD. The party he “wouldn’t want to bet”
defended an election had to led to “polarization, unlikely to be much move- won seats in the national on a “Jamaica” coalition
campaign that left her con- connected with me per- ment before a state elec- parliament for the first time coming together, saying
servative bloc in first place sonally” but said that a lot tion Oct. 15 in Lower Sax- Sunday after a campaign the parties appear so far
but significantly weakened of progress has since been ony, one of Germany’s that centered on harsh apart in many areas that
as she embarked Mon- made. most populous states. criticism of Merkel and the solid compromises are hard
day on what could be a The center-left Social Dem- “It is important that Ger- migrant influx. to imagine.q
lengthy quest to form a ocratic Party has been
new government. Merkel’s partner in a “grand
Merkel said the success of coalition” since 2013. The
a nationalist, anti-migrant party finished second, but
party that finished third in leader Martin Schulz said its
Sunday’s election won’t dismal showing would re-
influence her foreign, Euro- quire the Social Democrats
pean and refugee policies. “to be a strong opposition”
She once more defended going forward.
her decision to let in large Germany, Europe’s biggest
numbers of migrants, say- economy, has no tradition

Top eurozone official: Greece

in need of ‘clean’ bailout exit

By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS sion-making,” Dijsselbloem
DEREK GATOPOULOS said after meetings with
Associated Press Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras
KAVOURI, Greece (AP) — and top financial officials in
The eurozone’s top official Athens.
said Monday that Greece He renewed a European
and its European credi- pledge to provide addi-
tors are on a good path tional relief for repayment
to completing the latest of Greeks staggering na-
round of bailout talks, with tional debt that is nearly
a view to a “clean exit” 180 percent of gross do-
from strict fiscal supervision. mestic product.
Jeroen Dijsselbloem said “At the beginning of next
the recession-battered year, we will design a
country is regaining cred- mechanism to make sure
ibility, with a “very strong” that more debt relief will
fiscal performance in 2016 come in place over time if
and 2017. needed and if the growth is
“A clean exit, and full exit disappointing.”
in August of next year — Greece’s once anti-bailout
that’s our common goal so left-wing government has
that Greece is once again promised to speed up cost-
independent financially cutting reforms in the next
and sovereign in its deci- few months. q