Schroeder and Merkel show no sign of compromise

Aides to Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and rival Angela Merkel showed no signs of compromise on their competing leadership claims as the pair met today for a second round of talks on forming a new German government.

The exploratory talks, for which the two leaders were being joined by ministers and experts, were expected to focus more on policy than on personalities. Merkel told reporters earlier in the day she hoped to address “the situation in which our country finds itself.”