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WORLD NEWS Thursday 15 March 2018

Merkel faces stormy times in 4th term as German leader

French President Emmanu- added that an "everyone
el Macron's months-old pro- against everyone else"
posals for ambitious reforms mentality is spreading in
of the EU and its currency world politics, including
union, and U.S. President trade policy.
Donald Trump's threats of "The expectations of our
trade tariffs against the EU friends and partners are
and even taxes on German huge, particularly in Eu-
automakers. rope," Steinmeier said.
Merkel, 63, has long dis- "Many hope we in Ger-
missed the notion that she many will show that liberal
should be regarded as the democracies are capable
"leader of the free world" of acting and facing the
following the election of future."
Trump, who is unpopular in Merkel's first trip abroad
Germany and elsewhere will take her to Paris Friday
in Europe. She says no one to meet Macron. In com-
person or country can solve ments published Wednes-
every problem. day by Germany's Frank-
However, German Presi- furter Allgemeine Zeitung,
dent Frank-Walter Steinmei- the French leader was
er underlined expectations quoted as saying that "if
that Germany should serve Germany doesn't move,
as an example as he for- part of my project is con-
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is applauded by faction leader Volker Kauder, left, and Alex- mally appointed her gov- demned to failure."
ander Dobrindt when Germany's parliament Bundestag meets to elect Angela Merkel for a fourth
term as chancellor in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, March 14, 2018. ernment. "I don't think for a second
(AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) He said "these are testing that a European project
years for democracy," with can succeed without or
By GEIR MOULSON ened by the domestic po- Merkel can turn her atten- authoritarian alternatives against Germany," he
Associated Press litical impasse. tion fully to matters such as gaining in confidence. He added.q
BERLIN (AP) — Angela
her fourth term as German Italy’s Salvini says open to coalition with 5-Stars
Merkel is embarking on

chancellor in stormy times,
facing pressure to bolster a By FRANCES D'EMILIO liament. The 5-Stars, with Asked by The Associated lusconi, the media mogul
fractious European Union Associated Press 32 percent, emerged as Press if he could accept and former premier. During
and prove that liberal de- ROME (AP) — Italian eu- Italy's biggest single party. a League-5-Star govern- the campaign, Berlusconi
mocracy can succeed as roskeptic leader Matteo Neither force has enough ment in which not himself, branded the 5-Stars as a
she faces a trade standoff Salvini on Wednesday said seats in Parliament to gov- but Movement leader Luigi "sect" whose politicians are
with an increasingly pro- he'd be willing to form a ern alone. Di Maio or somebody else "worse than Communists."
tectionist U.S. as well as a government coalition with The only party Salvini ruled might be premier, Salvini in- But after Berlusconi's Forza
confident China and Rus- the other big winner of out of any deal was the dicated he could. Italia took a drubbing in the
sia. the country's election, the "defeated" Democrats, "It's not like I get up each election, the ex-premier no
Merkel, chancellor since 5-Star Movement, if the rival who were crushed in the morning saying, 'Matteo, longer dominates the cen-
2005 and the EU's longest- populists back his League's vote. you must be premier,'" Sal- ter-right grouping.
serving leader, was sworn in promises to voters like low- "Leaving out the DP (Dem- vini said. Formal talks to find a possi-
Wednesday with a "grand ering the retirement age ocratic Party), everything is Salvini ruled out cobbling ble governing coalition are
coalition" of Germany's big- and taxes. possible" in terms of a coali- together some fragile co- weeks away. Italy's head of
gest parties. Salvini's anti-migrant tion formula that can guar- alition government the state, President Sergio Mat-
That ended nearly six League was the largest antee a "solid majority" of League could join "at all tarella, is expected to start
months of drift after Sep- vote-getter in a center-right support in Parliament, Salvi- costs to be a minister for a sounding out political lead-
tember's election, during coalition that captured 37 ni said a news conference few months." ers after the new Parlia-
which Germany's voice in percent of the votes in the for foreign correspondents His main campaign coali- ment first meets on March
the world has been weak- March 4 elections for Par- in Rome. tion partner was Silvio Ber- 23.q