GERMANY: Germany's power poker entered its decisive round last night, three weeks after the general election, with political leaders promising to announce this morning an agreement on the next chancellor.
Christian Democrat (CDU) leader Angela Merkel is emerging as the favourite for the position, with the chancellor, Gerhard Schröder of the Social Democrats (SPD), widely expected to stand aside. But there may be surprises yet when the two sides put their decision to their party executives, which can accept or reject the leaders' recommendations to begin talks for a CDU-SPD grand coalition.
Dr Merkel will have a difficult time explaining why she is prepared to give the SPD so many ministries as has been speculated - perhaps even more than her own party - as the price for getting rid of Mr Schröder.
Senior party figures showed continued reservations about a grand coalition last night.
"We have to wait before entering coalition talks until the SPD has accepted the ground rules of democracy and that the strongest parliamentary faction appoints the chancellor," said Christian Wulff, CDU state premier of Lower Saxony. "I believe that with goodwill on the part of all participants we can get a solution and a result," Günther Oettinger, CDU premier in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.
Meanwhile, if Mr Schröder stands aside, SPD leader Franz Müntefering will have a challenge in explaining the reason for letting go of the man who turned around the general election and brought the SPD to just one percentage point behind the SPD.
Last night, the SPD grassroots expressed their loud opposition to parting from Mr Schröder. Party right-wingers renewed their call for a rotating chancellorship, with Mr Schröder serving first. "That would increase the necessary trust of both partners in each other and stabilise a grand coalition for four years," said interior minister Otto Schily in a newspaper interview.
As for the idea of the SPD serving under Dr Merkel as chancellor: "That will take some explaining," said Björn Bohning, head of the Young Socialists, the SPD youth organisation.