Merkel poised to form coalition with Schroeder

GERMANY’S two biggest parties edged closer to a ‘grand coalition’ yesterday, as conservative leader Angela Merkel said there was a very strong chance the conservatives and Social Democrats would form a government.

After meeting the leader of the liberal Free Democrats (FDP), once her preferred coalition partners, Merkel said her Christian Democrats (CDU) were much more likely to forge a coalition with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s Social Democrats (SPD).

“The possibility or likelihood of a coalition with the SPD is much higher than the other constellations,” Ms Merkel told reporters, adding there was a “very high probability” of success.