Germans Still Dispute Who Is Next Leader

"Features"

09/28/2005

BERLIN (AP) - Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and conservative challenger Angela Merkel didn’t resolve their dispute over who should be Germany’s next leader during a 2-hour meeting Wednesday, but they still called the session helpful.

Merkel came out of the meeting at the Reichstag parliament building looking relaxed and describing the talks as ``constructive and serious.’’ Franz Muentefering, head of Schroeder’s Social Democratic Party, called the preliminary discussions ``fruitful.’’

Both sides said they focused on policy but had to leave their most serious dispute - who should be the next chancellor - for further talks in the coming weeks. The two sides are scheduled to meet again Oct. 5.

Germany’s stock market seemed willing to ignore the political stalemate and hit a new high for the year.

Germany’s Sept. 18 election resulted in both Schroeder’s government of Social Democrats and Greens and Merkel’s conservatives falling short of a majority in the Bundestag, or lower house. The two sides have had to turn to each other to try to form a majority across the left-right divide.

Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union and its allied Bavaria-only sister party, the Christian Social Union, won 225 seats, compared to 222 for the Social Democrats, with one more seat to be decided. Merkel says that margin gives her the right to be Germany’s first female chancellor.

Both sides stressed Wednesday’s meeting was only a prelude to decide whether full-fledged coalition negotiations could be opened in earnest.

``We held exploratory talks, we discussed policy,’’ Muentefering said. ``All personnel questions still need to be clarified, but we did not discuss them today.’’

Merkel said ``it is very clear what is still dividing us and that is the conservatives’ claim to the chancellorship, but anyone expecting a step toward resolving that today would have had false expectations from these exploratory talks.’’

The two sides discussed policy differences on such questions as reforming Germany’s labor market and how to reduce its budget deficit.

Schroeder said the preliminary nature of the talks meant the chancellorship question would be answered later.

``We are exploring the question of whether full-fledged negotiations can start,’’ Schroeder said. ``In such a phase, it’s a political mistake to pose ultimatums.’’

On Sunday, voters in the eastern city of Dresden will decide one last seat in the parliament in an election that was delayed because of a candidate’s death. Pollsters say it is not likely to resolve the stalemate.

Schroeder has clung to his insistence on remaining chancellor, despite growing news media speculation he will eventually have to drop his demand. One scenario getting attention in recent days is the Social Democrats agreeing to accept the junior role in a coalition without Schroeder as its leader, as long as the Christian Democrats find someone other than Merkel. So far, however, the Christian Democrats haven’t budged.

The two sides had to seek partnership after smaller parties refused to help them eke out a majority. The pro-business Free Democrats refused to work with the Social Democrats and Greens to keep the current government in power. And the Greens refused to join a center-right government with the Christian Democrats and Free Democrats.

Both Schroeder and Merkel refuse to work with the Left Party, made up of renegade Social Democrats and former East German communists.

Parliament has until Oct. 18 to meet. President Horst Koehler nominates a chancellor candidate he thinks can form a stable government. If no one wins a majority in three rounds of voting, Koehler can appoint a minority government or dismiss parliament for new elections.