(ANSA-AFP) - BERLIN, SEP 27 - Germany slipped Monday into a
period of political unpredictability after the Social Democrats
narrowly won a general election but faced a rival claim to power
from outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative camp. For
a country synonymous with stability after 16 years of Merkel's
steady leadership, the coming weeks and months promise to be a
rocky ride as both Finance Minister Olaf Scholz's SPD and the
conservatives led by Armin Laschet scramble for coalition
partners. The power struggle risks putting Germany out of play
on the international scene for some time, even though the
upcoming COP26 climate summit will be demanding action from the
world's biggest powers. Europe's largest economy will also hold
the presidency of the G7 club of rich nations next year, and
will need a government capable of setting the international
agenda. European markets nevertheless heaved a sigh of relief,
climbing after the tight results, predicting that a government
led by either the SPD or the CDU would bring continuity in
economic policy. Preliminary official results showed that the
centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) narrowly won the vote at 25.7
percent, while Merkel's centre-right CDU-CSU bloc sunk to a
historic low of 24.1 percent. The Green party placed third at
14.8 percent, its best result yet but still short of
expectations. Laschet, 60, took responsibility for his side's
poor showing and vowed "renewal in all areas". But he insisted
that "no party" -- not even the SPD -- could claim a mandate to
govern from Sunday's outcome, as he said he was ready to head a
coalition. Scholz, 63, said the conservatives belonged in the
opposition. "The CDU and CSU have not only significantly lost
votes, but they have essentially received the message from
citizens -- they should no longer be in government, but should
go into the opposition," he said. Shrugging off the
uncertainties in the quest for a governing majority, Scholz said
Germany will not be thrown off by the power struggle that lies
ahead. "You should know that Germany always has coalitions, and
it was always stable," he said, adding that he aimed to pull
together his coalition by Christmas. From Paris, French minister
for European affairs Clement Beaune stressed that France "has an
interest to have a strong German government in place", urging
"swift" action from German parties. The Kremlin said it hoped
for "continuity" in Moscow's ties with Berlin. (ANSA-AFP).
© Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved