Germany in limbo as Merkel and Schroeder claim victory

VOTERS plunged Germany into political limbo last night, splitting their ballots between Angela Merkel’s conservatives and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s Social Democrats so closely that both claimed victory.

Ms Merkel’s party held a narrow lead over Mr Schroeder’s Social Democrats with votes counted from 80% of districts, the election authority said.

Ms Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), had 36.5% of the vote after 241 of 299 districts declared. Mr Schroeder’s Social Democrats (SPD) had 34% and their coalition partner, the Greens, 7.9%.

The most likely outcome of the election appears to be a “grand coalition” of Ms Merkel’s CDU, their sister party, the CSU, and the Social Democrats.

Normally, the chancellor would come from the strongest party - in this case Ms Merkel’s CDU/CSU, according to projections. But Mr Schroeder, 61, refused to concede the top job to Ms Merkel.

“There will be no coalition under her leadership with my Social Democrats,” Mr Schroeder bellowed.

The only obvious way for Mr Schroeder to stay in office would be to seal a “traffic-light” coalition with the Greens and the liberal FDP.

Another option would be brand new elections. This has never happened in post-war Germany.