Thanks, K.O.!
225 Seats CDU/CSU - Merkel
222 Seats SPD - Schröder
61 Seats FDP - Liberal Party
54 Seats Linke - Communist Party
51 Seats Die Grünen - Green Party
327 total leftie seats
286 total center-right seats
613 total seats? (or 1 more in Dresden?)
Looks like a hamstrung gov't. The three minor parties will sit it out, Merkel will be chancellor, and will work out something with the SPD.
As others pointed out, the only other possibilities aren't really possible. Merkel won't deal with the Commies; the FDP won't join a coalition with the Greens (and probably vice versa); the SPD and Commies would have serious differences to patch up.
A gov't of CDU/CSU and the SPD is probably going to happen. That would be the most workable outcome, bad as it may seem now.
http://www16.dw-world.de/wahlgrafik/index.php?lang=en
'Hitler row' German minister quits
Monday, September 23, 2002 Posted: 10:36 AM EDT (1436 GMT)
http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/09/23/germany.minister/
"Another post-poll casualty was Juergen Moellemann, deputy leader of the liberal Free Democrats, who resigned on Monday over a row with a prominent German Jewish leader. Party leader Guido Westerwelle said the row had caused the FDP 'massive damage.'
"Moellemann said he was stepping down in the best interest of his party, though he remains a member of parliament. He said: 'I am resigning from my post as deputy head to spare the FDP an ordeal and further internal preoccupation.'"