Angela Merkel secures fourth term but faces coalition tussle
Berlin — Germany’s Angela Merkel turns to the complex task of sounding out partners in a potentially fragile coalition after securing a fourth term as chancellor in Sunday’s election even though her conservatives bled support to the far-right. Damaged by her handling of the 2015 migrant crisis, Merkel’s conservative bloc won 32.9% of the vote, down 8.6 points from the 2013 election and hitting its lowest level since 1949. However, hers was still the biggest parliamentary bloc and Europe’s most powerful leader stressed that as the strongest party, her conservatives have the mandate to form the next government. "There cannot be a coalition government built against us," she said, adding she was sure there would be a stable government by Christmas. However, a complicated and potentially unstable three-way coalition with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and Greens, untested at the national level, with a weaker Merkel could unsettle investors. The euro slipped in early Asian trading ...
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