Merkel’s future unclear after coalition talks fail
Stalemate leaves influential Germany at crossroads
BERLIN – The breakdown of talks to form a government in Germany — Europe’s most powerful nation — means that the continent’s pillar of economic and political stability is not so stable at the moment.
Chancellor Angela Merkel faced the biggest setback of her 12-year tenure Monday when the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) walked out of talks aimed at forming a governing coalition.
Merkel is in uncharted territory following an election in late September that saw her Christian Democrats (CDU) fall short of a majority in parliament, requiring her to seek an agreement with smaller parties to rule.
Complicating her task, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), an antiimmigration party, entered the German Bundestag for the first time, with 13% of the vote, but none of the other parties want it in a governing coalition.
Merkel now faces either a caretaker government or fresh elections likely producing the same inconclusive result — both firsts in German’s post-World War II history.
“It’s now time at the very least for a deep examination of Germany’s future,” Merkel said. “As caretaker chancellor, I will do everything to make sure this country continues to be properly governed in the tough weeks ahead.”
In the past year, Merkel has emerged as one of the most influential leaders in the world, particularly as President Trump adopts a more isolationist direc- tion for the United States. She is playing an outsized role on issues that include combating global warming, Europe’s security, international trade, the United Kingdom’s planned exit from the European Union and what to do about millions of refugees in Europe.
Now, Germany is going to be forced to look inward, leaving crucial policy decisions adrift, analysts told USA TODAY.
Some German voters expressed frustration at the political stalemate.
“It took weeks and weeks to talk things out only to have the FDP pull out now — what have they even been talking about all this time?” said Birgit Stein, 50, a secretary in Berlin. “If we’ll actually have new elections … I don’t think it’ll be good for anyone involved.”
While many voters fear that new elections would result in more support for the far-right AfD, most think Merkel will remain chancellor because there is no obvious successor.
So far, the left-leaning Social Democrats, who finished second in the elections, are not interested in continuing their pre-election coalition with Merkel’s party. Still, Merkel is one of the savviest political players in Europe and it would be too soon to write her off, analysts say.
“She’s going to have to muster her political capital to push this thing through, whatever form that takes,” said Tyson Barker, a senior analyst with the Aspen Institute, a think tank in Berlin. “But she still has cards to play — she’s very resilient.”