Germany 'faces new polls'
German Chancellor Angela Merkel resumed complex coalition talks yesterday in a last-ditch effort to forge a government and avert a political crisis in Europe's biggest economy.
The veteran leader, in power since 2005, won a September 24 vote without a clear majority for her conservative CDU/CSU bloc, largely because of the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), and must now build an unlikely alliance with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and left-leaning Greens.
But their deep policy differences, especially on immigration and the environment, have hobbled the monthlong negotiating marathon, leading party leaders to miss a Thursday deadline and declare they will push on until Sunday evening.
Until and unless the motley crew of four parties, which spans the mainstream political spectrum, strikes a deal, Germany's government remains in effective limbo with Merkel serving as a caretaker chancellor.
If they fail, Germany would probably hold snap elections, which would leave Merkel increasingly exposed to a rising band of critics within her own ranks and could further bolster the anti-Islam AfD.
Albrecht von Luckem, a political scientist, told news channel NTV that already "the loser is Angela Merkel" because, rather than be seen as battling for ideas, she had "fought strategically to maintain power".
Looming over the political drama is the prickly issue of immigration, a hot-button topic since Merkel threw open German borders in 2015 to a mass influx of over one million asylum seekers.
While the CSU has been sharply critical and wants to cap future arrivals at 200,000 a year, the Greens argue that more refugees should be allowed to bring their families.
Deep differences also remain on climate policy, where the Greens want to phase out dirty coal and combustion-engine cars, while the conservatives and FDP emphasise the need to protect industry and jobs.
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