The morning after election, Germans wake up wondering who will be the next Chancellor
Record ID:
1638870
The morning after election, Germans wake up wondering who will be the next Chancellor
- Title: The morning after election, Germans wake up wondering who will be the next Chancellor
- Date: 27th September 2021
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 27, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF GERMAN PARLIAMENT BUILDING ACROSS STREET FROM CHANCELLERY COLOGNE, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 27, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MOON OVER COLOGNE CATHEDRAL AND WORKER HOSING DOWN STREET (SOUNDBITE) (German) MALE PASSER-BY, ANDREAS WOLFRAM, SAYING: "The outcome isn't clear and I'm anxious to find out who will enter coalition negotiations now. I can't tell yet whether the direction is towards the CDU or the SPD. Personally, I would prefer the SPD with the Greens and the FDP." (SOUNDBITE) (German) MALE PASSER-BY IN BLUE JACKET, DIETER KNORR, SAYING: "I do think it's relatively clear. There are two clear winners and I guess they will have to get together. Somehow they have to win over the FDP but I don't think a party with the worst result since its existence (CDU) can demand the chancellery. That's what I believe." (SOUNDBITE) (German) FEMALE PASSER-BY OUTSIDE STORE, ANTJE LIESER, SAYING: "It's difficult. As the saying goes, it's historic. The small parties will be the kingmakers. The Greens and the FDP will choose their coalition party and Mr. Scholz and Mr. Laschet can applaud themselves but I have no answer. I just hope that they will quickly find a solution and that we have a government before Christmas." (SOUNDBITE) (German) MALE PASSER-BY WITHOUT FACE MASK, FRANK LOHROFF, SAYING: "I think it will now depend on who gets together with whom. Olaf Scholz was not my preference. Even though he is too much of a bureaucrat there is no alternative." (SOUNDBITE) (German) FEMALE PASSER-BY WITH PEARL NECKLACE, BEATE LEMKOESTER, SAYING: "Let's see what happens and who will form a coalition government with whom. That's the question. I hope they will hold open negotiations to come to a good result."
- Embargoed: 11th October 2021 06:36
- Keywords: Cologne German election chancellery chancellor's office commuters morning reax reactions vox pops
- Location: BERLIN & COLOGNE, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN & COLOGNE, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Europe,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001EWHVBD3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Germans woke up on Monday morning (September 27) wondering who might lead the next government following the close national election result hours earlier.
The Social Democrats (SPD) were set to start the process of trying to form a government after they narrowly won their first national election since 2005 to end 16 years of conservative-led rule under Angela Merkel.
In Cologne, commuters on their way to work were unsure what would come now in the new post-Merkel era. In the last elections, coalition talks lasted until March.
"The outcome isn't clear and I'm anxious to find out who will enter coalition negotiations now," said Andreas Wolfram, adding "personally, I would prefer the SPD with the Greens and the FDP."
Mass circulation daily Bild simply said "chancellor thriller" on its cover.
In order to secure a majority in parliament, the SPD is likely to seek an alliance with the Greens and the FDP, although the two parties could also team up with the conservatives.
The centre-left SPD won 25.7% of the vote, ahead of 24.1% for Merkel's CDU/CSU conservative bloc, according to provisional results.
The Greens came in at 14.8% and the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) were on 11.5%.
If Scholz, 63, succeeds in forming a coalition, he would become the fourth post-war SPD chancellor after Willy Brandt, Helmut Schmidt and Gerhard Schroeder.
Finance minister in Merkel's cabinet, he is a former mayor of Hamburg.
But Laschet, 60, still hung on to the possibility that he could be chancellor, even though he led the conservatives to their worst ever election result.
(Production: Leon Malherbe, Andi Kranz, Michele Sani) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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