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GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel sought a new coalition with the Greens and free-market liberal FDP yesterday after losing ground to the right in Sunday’s election.
Ms Merkel’s centre-right CDU slumped to 33 per cent of the vote from 41.5 per cent in 2013. Her Social Democratic Party (SPD) “grand coalition” allies hit a post-war low of 20.5 per cent, down from 25.7, and immediately ruled out returning to government with the CDU.
The gains were picked up by the FDP and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) — a racist, Eurosceptic party with a large fascist wing.
NICK WRIGHT returns to Berlin and finds a city in darkness and political turmoil
The German Chancellor seeks EU sanctions on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to prevent future governments from resuming Russian gas deliveries, delivering a devastating blow to German industry — and German workers, writes RAINER RUPP
In part two of May’s Berlin Bulletin, VICTOR GROSSMAN, having assessed the policies of the new government, looks at how the opposition is faring
In part one of his Berlin bulletin, VICTOR GROSSMAN assesses the economic and political difficulties facing the new Merz government — and a regrettable ruling-class consensus on the solutions