The sudden collapse of talks to form a coalition government left German politics in turmoil on Monday, with Angela Merkel reckoning with one of the worst crises of her 12-year chancellorship, The Washington Post reports.
The failure left politicians scrambling across Berlin on Monday to try to salvage hopes that a deal can still be struck and new elections avoided. But a fresh vote looked increasingly likely, a prospect met with glee by the German far-right and by waves of apprehension across Europe, where German stability has long been taken for granted.
Preliminary coalition talks broke down late Sunday after the pro-business Free Democrats bowed out of the negotiations with Merkel's conservative bloc and the left-leaning Greens.
Beside the possibility of new elections, Merkel could attempt to continue her current coalition with the Social Democrats — which that party has said it will not do — or she could try to go ahead with a minority government.
Free Democrats leader Christian Lindner told reporters his party pulled out of the weekslong talks rather than further compromise its principles.