SELDOM was a general election in another European state watched more closely by the Irish people than Angela Merkel’s performance yesterday, which put her in an unassailable position to become Chancellor of Germany for a historic third term in succession.

In the biggest challenge of her six-and-a-half years in office, German chancellor Angela Merkel walks a fine line between appearing to be a soft touch, and displaying a lack of commitment to the maintenance of the eurozone, writes Kyran Fitzgerald

GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives looked set to lose power in a major regional stronghold yesterday after governing there for almost 60 years.

GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government came under attack yesterday from leaders in her own party as the conservatives fell to a record low in opinion polls amid public anger over rising taxes and stymied reform efforts.

CHANCELLOR Gerhard Schroeder and opposition leader Angela Merkel held their first face-to-face talks yesterday to wrangle over their rival claims to lead Germany out of political paralysis.