GERMANY: Germany moved a step closer to a grand coalition yesterday after the Green Party broke off exploratory talks with Christian Democrat (CDU) leader Angela Merkel.
Dr Merkel was hoping to win over Chancellor Schröder's junior coalition partner of seven years to support a three-way coalition with the CDU and the liberal Free Democrats (FDP).
"I would have happily met again to discuss in greater details where there is common ground and where not, but that wasn't the wish of the Greens," said Dr Merkel.
Green leaders described the meeting with the CDU as "historic" and the "end of a taboo", but said they saw no common ground for future talks and indicated the party was happy to head for the opposition.
Reinhard Bütikofer said he had asked Dr Merkel and Bavarian state premier Edmund Stoiber if they would soften their "neo-liberal, radical market, anti-ecological politics" which failed to win a parliamentary majority.
"Dr Merkel and Mr Stoiber didn't give us the answer, and on that basis we said we see no possibility to recommend further talks," he said.
But party co-leader Claudia Roth said the talks were the beginning of a potential collaboration in the future. "That is a perspective for tomorrow, for the day after tomorrow - I'm quoting Mr Stoiber," she said.
The Green Party decision, if final, leaves Dr Merkel with only one option: a coalition with Chancellor Schröder's Social Democrats. The CDU finished last Sunday's election ahead of the SPD by 1 per cent or three parliamentary seats, and both sides claim the chancellery as their own.
A survey for ZDF public television yesterday showed that the grand coalition is the most popular coalition option, backed by 45 per cent of voters and rejected by 43 per cent. Some 36 per cent back a three-way CDU-Green-FDP coalition which is rejected by 50 per cent.
Another survey found that 45 per cent of respondents favoured Mr Schröder staying on as chancellor, with 35 per cent backing Dr Merkel.
One in five of those surveyed said they would prefer neither of the two.
The ZDF survey showed that 80 per cent of German voters are unhappy with Sunday's election result, but 78 per cent said they would vote the same way again.
Even before real talks have begun, the personality question remains the crunch issue between CDU and SPD.
Meanwhile government spokesman Béla Anda declined to confirm or deny a report yesterday that Mr Schröder had suggested handing over power to the CDU after two years, after the 1980s Israeli example.