Boost for Merkel ahead of talks

GERMAN conservative challenger Angela Merkel won overwhelming backing from her party yesterday ahead of talks with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s Social Democrats about a possible coalition government.

German voters ousted Mr Schroeder’s government on Sunday, but didn’t give Ms Merkel a parliamentary majority, leaving Europe’s largest economy - beset by high unemployment, sluggish growth and budget deficits - rudderless.

Both party leaders claim they have a mandate to be the next chancellor, a dispute to be settled in coalition talks beginning tomorrow among Germany’s political parties. But the outcome is far from clear.