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BERLIN (SW): German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been re-elected for a fourth term while nationalists have made a historic surge in federal elections.<\/p>\n
Preliminary results showed Merkel's CDU\/CSU group would be the largest in the Bundestag, but with its lead cut to 33.5% of the seats, down from 41.5% in 2013. The SPD fell to 21.6% from 25.7%, a result met with shock at the party's headquarters. It was the CDU's worst result since 1949, and the SPD's worst since 1945.<\/p>\n
The AfD, founded only four years ago, became the first far-right party to enter the Bundestag since 1961, with just over 13% of the vote.<\/p>\n
Addressing supporters, Mrs Merkel, who has been in the job for 12 years, said she had hoped for a "better result". She added that she would listen to the "concerns, worries and anxieties" of voters of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in order to win them back.<\/p>\n
Mrs Merkel also said her government would have to deal with economic and security issues as well as addressing the root causes of migration – one of the main reasons behind the AfD's result. "Today we can say that we now have a mandate to assume responsibility and we're going to assume this responsibility calmly, talking with our partners of course."<\/p>\n
According to the CNN, with the SPD refusing to rejoin government and no party willing to work with the AfD, the result leaves Merkel with few options for a coalition. Merkel may be forced to make a deal with the Green Party and FDP, to create a so-called "Jamaican coalition" — with the green and and yellow of the two parties combining with the black of the CDU to resemble the flag of Jamaica.<\/p>\n
The pro-business FDP are expected to take 10% of seats with the Greens one percentage point behind on nine. Coalition talks are unlikely to begin in earnest until final results have been announced on Monday.<\/p>\n
To form a government, the parties involved must have a combined total of at least 50% of the seats in parliament. There are likely to be several coalition options, and plenty of disagreement between the parties before they reach a deal.<\/p>\n
The Bundestag is due reconvene on October 24 with the new government in place<\/p>\n
ENDS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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