Merkel and Schroeder both claim Chancellor's office

Germany’s opposition leader Angela Merkel and the chairman of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s party made the first contacts with potential coalition partners in a scramble for power after Germany’s inconclusive election.

Voters denied both Schroeder and Merkel a majority, but each is demanding the chancellor’s office, launching a struggle that could last weeks while business leaders and economists warn decisive action is needed to fix the struggling economy.