German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder met today with his party and legislative leaders to smooth out a strategy for tomorrow’s vote of confidence – a tricky constitutional manoeuvre intended to bring about early national elections.

The outcome of Germany's election is still not known as Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his conservative challenger Edmund Stoiber ran neck-and-neck tonight in one of the country's closest post-war elections.

GERMAN Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his conservative challenger Edmund Stoiber ran neck-and-neck last night in one of Germany’ closest post-war elections.