A portrait of misery as Merkel feels strain
ANGELA Merkel appeared to be overwhelmed last night as Germany headed for a political crisis.
Head in her hands, the Chancellor was the picture of misery in the Bundestag (German parliament) after coalition talks to form a majority government collapsed.
Mrs Merkel, who is a pivotal figure in the Brexit negotiations, has been embroiled in cross-party policy negotiations to attempt to continue her 12-year reign.
The political future of Germany is now unclear as she is said to prefer a fresh round of elections in January over governing with a minority.
Fears have been expressed that the instability could affect Brexit negotiations, as Mrs Merkel will be tied up with the domestic situation. Senior colleagues of Mrs Merkel yesterday called on her to quickly resolve the political crisis.
Parties were told to put their differences on hold in order to find a solution over fears of causing international instability.
The talks principally broke down over immigration policies.
Wolfgang Schäuble, Germany’s most senior MP and finance minister, addressed the Bundestag yesterday.
‘Europe needs a Germany that is capable of acting,’ he said.
‘Agreeing by giving ground to each other takes courage... The task is huge, but it’s not unsolvable.’